JAMADA ALTHANI 4, 1442 AH SUNDAY, JANUARY 17, 2021

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ISSUE NO: 18336 The First Daily in the Arabian Gulf www.kuwaittimes.net

Abbas announces Palestinian Talal Al-Ajmi Al-Danah grand Desert off-roading final Historic divides fuel Man 5 elections for May and July 10 prize winner of KD 1,500,000 13 frontier for Qatar women 15 United, Liverpool rivalry

India starts vaccine drive as global deaths top 2 million

Lebanon hits record coronavirus deaths, infections NEW DELHI: India kicked off one of the world’s worst-funded healthcare systems. Regular child largest coronavirus vaccination drives yesterday as inoculations are a “much smaller game” and vacci- the pandemic spread at a record pace and global nating against COVID-19 will be “deeply challeng- COVID-19 deaths surged past two million. The ing”, said Satyajit Rath from India’s National World Health Organization has called for accelerat- Institute of Immunology. ing vaccine rollouts worldwide as well as ramping up The government has readied tens of thousands of efforts to study the sequencing of the virus, which refrigeration tools and about 150,000 specially has infected more than 93 million people globally trained staff to try and overcome some of those since it was first detected in China in late 2019. challenges. The vaccines will also have high securi- India, home to 1.3 billion people, has the world’s ty, so that doses do not end up being sold on India’s second-largest caseload. The government has given large black market for medicines. WHO chief Tedros approvals to two vaccines - though one is yet to Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Friday said he wanted complete clinical trials - aiming to inoculate around “to see vaccination under way in every country in 300 million people by July. One of the first to the next 100 days so that health workers and those receive a jab in the eastern city of Kolkata was 35- at high risk are protected first”. year-old health worker Santa Roy, who told AFP he His call came as infections snowballed, with now saw a “ray of hope” after witnessing people die 724,000 new cases recorded on average per day of the coronavirus. globally over the past week, according to AFP’s tally Authorities say they are drawing on their experi- - a record 10 percent increase on a week earlier. ence with elections and child immunization pro- The worrying spikes in deaths and infections come KUWAIT: Environment Public Authority and Kuwait coastguard personnel remove the carcass of a grams for the drive, which is a daunting task in an as concerns and criticism grow over vaccine logis- whale found near Jaber Causeway yesterday. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat enormous, impoverished nation with often shoddy tics and supply issues in many parts of the world. transport infrastructure and one of the world’s Continued on Page 2

Iran’s armed forces chief of staff Iran test-fires Major General Mohammad Bagheri was present on the second day of the WhatsApp delays drill, alongside Guards chief Major missiles on General Hossein Salami and aero- data share update space commander Brigadier General targets at sea Amirali Hajizadeh. “One of our major goals in defense policies and strate- after backlash TEHRAN: Iran’s Revolutionary gies is to be able to target enemy SAN FRANCISCO: WhatsApp on Friday Guards test-fired ballistic missiles ships, including aircraft carriers and postponed a data-sharing change as users con- against targets in the Indian Ocean as battleships, using long-range ballistic cerned about privacy fled the Facebook-owned they wrapped up a two-day exercise, missiles,” Salami said, quoted by messaging service and flocked to rivals their official website reported yester- Sepahnews. Telegram and Signal. The smartphone app, a day. The missiles of “various classes” Bagheri said the launch showed huge hit across the world, canceled its Feb 8 targeted “the enemy’s battleships and Iran was ready to respond to any “ill deadline for accepting an update to its terms destroyed them from 1,800 km away,” will” by its enemies, warning that in concerning sharing data with Facebook, saying according to the Sepahnews website. such cases “they will be targeted and it would use the pause to clear up misinforma- The missiles were fired from central destroyed by our missiles”. “We do tion around privacy and security. Iran at targets located in the northern not intend to carry out any attack,” he “We’ve heard from so many people how Indian Ocean, the Guards said. A said, adding the exercise showed Iran’s much confusion there is around our recent video released by state television readiness to defend itself “with all its This handout photo shows a launch of missiles during a military drill in update,” WhatsApp said in a blog post. “This showed two missiles being launched strength” against any aggressor. an unknown location in central Iran yesterday. — AFP update does not expand our ability to share and targets being hit at sea. Continued on Page 2 data with Facebook.” It said it would instead “go to people gradually to review the policy at their own pace before new business options are above 8,000 m to be topped in wintertime. Secretary Karrar Haidri added the club was help- available on May 15”. Nepal team claim “WE DID IT,” tweeted Seven Summit Treks, a ing to coordinate the evacuation of the body, but The update concerns how merchants using trekking company leading one of the expeditions. with weather conditions expected to be poor WhatsApp to chat with customers can share first winter ascent “The Karakorum’s ‘Savage Mountain’ been summit- overnight, it would be done today morning. The data with Facebook, which could use the infor- ed in most dangerous season: winter. Nepalese name “Savage Mountain” comes from the punishing mation for targeted ads, according to the social climbers finally reached the summit of Mt K2 this conditions there - winds can blow at more than 200 network. “We can’t see your private messages of Pakistan’s K2 afternoon at 17:00 local time.” km per hour and temperatures can drop to minus 60 or hear your calls, and neither can Facebook,” But the success was overshadowed by the death degrees Celsius. Since the maiden attempt in 1987- WhatsApp said in an earlier blog post. “We ISLAMABAD: A team of Nepali climbers made his- of a Spanish climber, Sergi Mingote, lower down the 1988, just a handful of winter expeditions have been don’t keep logs of who everyone is messaging or tory yesterday after becoming the first to summit mountain. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez tried on the storied 8,611-metre (28,250-foot) peak calling. We can’t see your shared location and Pakistan’s K2 in winter, on the same afternoon a described him as a “great sportsman” on Twitter, in the Karakoram range along the Chinese border. neither can Facebook.” Spanish mountaineer fell and died lower down the writing: “He wanted to keep on making history... and None had got higher than 7,650 m until yesterday, Location data along with message contents is perilous peak. Dozens of climbers have been com- a tragic accident ended his life.” The Alpine Club of when the good conditions allowed the successful encrypted end-to-end, according to WhatsApp. peting over the past few weeks to summit the Pakistan said in a statement that the climber fell team to push ahead. “We’re giving businesses the option to use world’s second highest mountain, the last peak while descending to Base Camp shortly before 4 pm. Continued on Page 2 secure hosting services from Facebook to man- age WhatsApp chats with their customers, answer questions, and send helpful information identified said Trump would go to his like purchase receipts,” WhatsApp said in a Trump to leave Mar-a-Lago golf club in Florida, post. “Whether you communicate with a busi- which is his legal residence and will ness by phone, email, or WhatsApp, it can see town before become home after the White House. what you’re saying and may use that information He is expected to be out of town well for its own marketing purposes, which may before Biden is sworn in on the steps include advertising on Facebook.” inauguration of the Capitol building at exactly noon. Technology experts note that WhatsApp’s After spending more than two new requirement of its users makes legally bind- WASHINGTON: By the time Joe months trying to overturn the results ing a policy that has been widely in use since Biden is sworn in as the 46th US presi- of the November election, pushing 2016. Facebook aims to monetize WhatsApp by dent Wednesday, his scandal-tainted false conspiracy theories about fraud, allowing businesses to contact clients via the predecessor Donald Trump will Trump’s presence had not been platform, making it natural for the internet giant already be far away, having heli- expected at the inauguration. The final to centralize some data on its servers. coptered out of the White House a last straw came on Jan 6 when Trump The Turkish Competition Authority said it is time earlier that morning, an official gathered a huge crowd of supporters opening an investigation and requiring said Friday. Trump will be the first on the National Mall and once more WhatsApp to suspend the data sharing president in a century and a half to claimed that they had to fight to stop a WASHINGTON: National Guard troops are seen on the lawn of the US Continued on Page 2 snub the inauguration of his successor. fraudulent election. Capitol building on Friday. — AFP An official who asked not to be Continued on Page 2 2 Established 1961 Sunday, January 17, 2021 Local Kuwait lists 435 new COVID cases, no deaths

Total cases up to 157,399, deaths at 947

KUWAIT: Kuwait listed 435 new coronavirus health workers conducted 8,651 swab tests over infections and no virus-related deaths yesterday, the previous 24 hours, and 10,862 the day before, taking the total to 157,399 and 947 respectively, bringing the total up to 1,389,294. the health ministry said. Kuwait had announced Meanwhile, the health ministry posted further 530 new cases and one explanations on COVID- death on Friday. 19 vaccine certificate yes- Meanwhile, the health terday. In a post on their ministry announced 349 Twitter account, the min- recoveries yesterday, 349 istry showed that once a compared to 268 on recoveries person receives both dos- Friday, raising total recov- es of the vaccine, they eries to 150,678. in 24 hours will receive a vaccination The number of patients card, a text message with hospitalized stood yester- a link to the vaccination day at 5,774, including 48 report, and a digital vac- in intensive care units, cine certificate on the according to ministry ‘Mosafer’ app. Health spokesman Dr Abdullah Al-Sanad. This is down Minister Dr Basel Al-Sabah had said Thursday from 5,688 on Friday, although the number of ICU that this digital certificate will be made available patients remained the same, according to ministry in case it becomes required for travel to certain data. Dr Sanad also revealed yesterday that countries in the future.

KUWAIT: Firemen battle a blaze reported in Shuwaikh yesterday.

Iran. The suspects, all Iranian, were taken to Coastguard arrests 10 the proper authorities for further action. Separately, firemen battled a blaze report- ed in a sanitary ware showroom in Shuwaikh attempting to enter Kuwait yesterday, Kuwait Fire Force said. The flame spread over a 5,000-square-meter area, but KUWAIT: Coastguards arrested 10 people rial waters. People were able to arrest nine firefighters managed to control the fire’s who entered Kuwait illegally through men, who admitted that they came from Iran spread and bring it under control. No injuries Abdullah Port yesterday. Police headed to the on a boat that dropped them off and turned were reported, Kuwait Fire Force noted, scene after receiving a call about a number of back. Coastguards were able to arrest the adding that an investigation was opened to Two Iranian infiltrators who were caught. people jumping out of a boat and into territo- boat’s sailor while he was on his way back to reveal the cause of the fire.

(then $120 million) for providing incorrect and mis- the recognition we deserve,” said renowned Nepali WhatsApp delays leading information about its 2014 takeover of Nepal team claim climber Kami Rita Sherpa, who has climbed Everest a WhatsApp concerning the ability to link accounts record 24 times. “The spotlight has always been on for- between the services. Federal and state regulators eign climbers. It is wonderful that today on K2 ten data share update... in US have accused Facebook of using its acquisi- first winter ascent... Nepalis have made history and shown our bravery and tions of WhatsApp and Instagram to squelch com- Continued from Page 1 Continued from Page 1 strength.” petition and filed antitrust lawsuits last month that Nepali guides, usually ethnic Sherpas from the val- aim to force the company to divest them. obligation on its users. Several Turkish state The 10 Nepali climbers had earlier been spread leys around Everest, are considered the backbone of User privacy fears have been mounting, with the climbing industry in the Himalayas for bearing huge organizations - including President Recep Tayyip Uber careful to stress that a change in app terms across different teams, but formed a new group in Erdogan’s media office - switched to Turkcell tele- order to claim the feat in Nepal’s name. risks to carry equipment and food, fix ropes and repair taking effect on Jan 18 has nothing to do with shar- ladders. “Sherpas are top climbers of the world, and it com’s new messaging service BiP in response. ing data. Encrypted messaging app Telegram has Despite being famed for their climbing expertise, The terms of service tweak also put WhatsApp there has never before been a Nepali climber on the is a proud moment for us. But reaching the summit is seen user ranks surge on the heels of the WhatsApp only the first half. We hope now that they can all make in the crosshairs in Italy and India, where a petition service terms announcement, said its Russia-born first winter ascent of a peak over 8,000 m. One of the has been filed in a Delhi court. WhatsApp’s notice triumphant climbers, Nirmal Purja, who is also known it back down safely,” warned Ang Tshering Sherpa, the founder Pavel Durov. “People no longer want to former president of the Nepal Mountaineering to users lacked clarity and its privacy implications exchange their privacy for free services,” Durov as Nimsdai, described it as a “very special moment”. Association. need to be carefully evaluated, Italian data protec- said without directly referring to the rival app. “The whole team waited 10m below the summit to form One of the final technical difficulties to be over- tion agency GPDP said in a post at its website. Encrypted messaging app Signal has also seen a a group then stepped onto the summit together whilst come by the group was the dreaded “bottleneck”, a GPDP said it has shared its concerns with the huge surge in demand, helped by a tweeted recom- singing our Nepalese National Anthem,” wrote Purja in narrow and steep passage where 11 people were killed European Data Protection Board and reserved the mendation by billionaire tech entrepreneur Elon a social media post. in Aug 2008 in K2’s worst known tragedy. Many right to intervene in the matter. Musk. WhatsApp has sought to reassure worried “We are proud to have been a part of history for climbers have died trying to reach the summit, while Facebook has come under increasing pressure users, even running full-page newspaper adverts in humankind and to show that collaboration, teamwork others were killed on the dangerous descent. from regulators as it tries to integrate its services. India, proclaiming that “respect for your privacy is and a positive mental attitude can push limits to what Lockdowns and travel bans sparked by the coron- The EU fined the US social media giant Ä110 million coded into our DNA”. —AFP we feel might be possible.” At least one of the climbers, Mingma Gyalje Sherpa, had planned to reach the sum- avirus pandemic meant the summer climbing season mit without using oxygen. last year was a bust in most of the popular climbing Commission said all vaccines ordered by the bloc for The news sparked joy throughout Nepal, long used destinations in the region, such as Nepal. India starts vaccine the first quarter would be delivered on time. But minis- to watching foreign climbers seize the records. “For With Pakistan’s borders open and few other places ters from Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania decades, Nepalis have assisted foreigners to reach the to go, this winter an unprecedented four teams totalling and Sweden said in a joint letter that the situation was summits of the Himalayas, but we’ve not been getting around 60 climbers converged on the mountain. — AFP drive as global... “unacceptable” and “decreases the credibility of the vaccination process”. Continued from Page 1 Lebanon hit new daily records of 44 coronavirus would no longer be handled by its European deaths and over 6,000 new infections Friday, the sec- Iran test-fires Command. US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer said shipments of its ond day of a lockdown aimed at preventing the coun- “We structure boundaries to best mitigate risk vaccines would slow for a period in late January. In try’s creaking healthcare system from collapsing. The and protect US interests and partners,” the Pentagon hard-hit Europe, there are concerns that the Pfizer country of six million recorded 6,154 new infections missiles on... said in a statement. “The easing of tensions between delays could further slow a vaccine rollout that has over the past 24 hours, the health ministry said, as hos- Israel and its Arab neighbors subsequent to the already faced heavy criticism. Pfizer, which jointly pitals in Beirut reached full capacity. Continued from Page 1 Abraham Accords has provided a strategic opportu- developed its vaccine with German company The announcement came as the American nity for the United States to align key partners BioNTech, said EU countries could expect delayed University of Beirut’s medical center, one the country’s Dubbed Great Prophet 15, the exercise also fea- against shared threats in the Middle East.” deliveries in the coming weeks due to work being done top facilities, said that its intensive care units, COVID- tured a drone attack on a missile defense system That was mainly a reference to Iran, which the at its plant in Belgium. 19 units and emergency room were all full. “We are followed by the launch of a barrage of “new genera- United States, Israel and Arab countries including It promised that there would be “a significant unable to find beds for even the most critical patients,” tion” surface-to-surface ballistic missiles. The war leading power Saudi Arabia view as the leading increase” in shipments in March, and the European it said in a statement. — AFP games come at a time of rising tensions with the security threat to the region. For decades at odds United States in the final days of President Donald with its Arab neighbors over its treatment of Trump’s administration. Palestinians, Israel has over the past year broken transfer of power. Trump, who was impeached for a It was Iran’s third military exercise in less than barriers on open cooperation and communications Trump to leave record second time in the wake of the Congress two weeks after a naval exercise in the Gulf of with Gulf countries under the Trump-fostered storming, has also broken with more discreet proto- Oman on Wednesday and Thursday, and an army Abraham Accords. col by refusing to invite Biden and his wife Jill Biden drone drill on Jan 5-6. The exercises started two Moving it under the Central Command potential- town before... to the White House for a traditional cup of tea in the days after Iran marked the anniversary of the assas- ly makes security cooperation with the United Oval Office. sination of revered Guards commander Qasem States on regional matters easier, and could bring Continued from Page 1 On Friday, Vice President Mike Pence did make Soleimani, killed in a US drone strike in Iraq in Israeli military officials in closer proximity to those the gesture of telephoning his incoming counterpart January last year. of Gulf neighbors. But it could also complicate A mob then stormed Congress, halting proceed- Kamala Harris, a source said. Although this came Meanwhile, the US Defense Department CentCom cooperation with Iran allies like Iraq, ings underway to certify Biden’s win. only five days before inauguration day - and more announced Friday that it would include close ally where the US retains 2,500 troops. “Israel is a lead- For longer than anyone can remember, outgoing than two months after the election - The New York Israel in the area covered by its Middle East- ing strategic partner for the United States, and this presidents have stood by their replacement on the Times said Pence offered his congratulations and focused Central Command. In another sign of the will open up additional opportunities for coopera- Capitol steps, watching them take the oath - and in belated assistance to Harris, describing the rapprochement brokered by President Donald tion with our US Central Command partners, while so doing showing visible support for the peaceful exchange as “gracious and pleasant”. — AFP Trump between Israel and Arab countries, the maintaining strong cooperation between Israel and Pentagon said US military dealings with Israel our European allies,” the Pentagon said. — AFP Established 1961 3 Local Sunday, January 17, 2021 Kuwait welcomes newly-recruited helpers today, but fewer numbers taking up jobs Pending issues delays recruitment of domestic helpers from Philippines

By Ben Garcia

KUWAIT: The Kuwaiti government has allowed entry of newly-recruited domestic helpers from labor-exporting countries such as the Philippines, India, Sri Lanka and elsewhere starting today. But here’s the reality on the ground. India is not dis- couraging its nationals to work as domestic helpers in Kuwait, but fewer are taking up such jobs, although if they apply to work as house- maids, they can easily get hired. Sri Lanka continues to send domestic helpers to Kuwait, but they only represent around 11 percent of the total domestic helper population. Talks are ongoing for the return of Ethiopian, Nepali and Indonesian housemaids, but there is no clear date as to when the agreement will be signed. Bangladesh only sends male domestic helpers to Kuwait and only a few hundreds come from Ivory Coast, Benin and Madagascar. As for the Philippines, the second country after India to send the largest number of household workers to Kuwait, there are still pending issues to be settled, particularly the issue of the unified con- tract. According to a Kuwait Times source, if the unified contract is signed, deployment of new domestic helpers will resume immediately. According to the source, until such a document is signed, there will be no deployment of new Filipino domestic helpers. Only returning Filipino domestic helpers can re-enter Kuwait, although they need to follow the 14-day quarantine proce- dure set by the government, plus the two required PCR tests upon arrival and at the end of the quar- antine period. Before the lockdown in March 2020, there were some ongoing talks between Kuwait and the Philippines (joint committee meetings) on the KUWAIT: A table showing the number of domestic workers in Kuwait per nationality, as of the latest available government statistics. rights of domestic helpers and employers, but the talks stalled due to the pandemic. “A series of joint The recruitment of domestic helpers from to deploy Filipino helpers. We have several hun- with specific procedures and mechanisms that take committee meetings between Kuwait and the labor-sending countries was suspended due to the dred housemaids whom we had already prepared into account the required health measures. The Philippines were held, and the only remaining part coronavirus, and people working in this sector for the job more than a year earlier. I hope they platform aims to decrease the cost of return that is the signing of what has been agreed upon. But have been praying hard for a favorable decision to will permit us to deploy workers who have been the sponsor will pay, in addition to relocating the due to the lockdowns, these efforts are pending. resume their business the soonest. “The death sen- waiting so long for the job,” she added. 14-day quarantine to be in Kuwait instead of a Technically speaking, all the concerns of both tence handed to the perpetrator recently was real- In the new unified contract, provisions will be transit country. The program’s return costs KD sides were tackled and almost resolved, but due to ly good news to the family of Villavende and to the added such as prohibiting employers from confis- 270 ($980) for every worker registered under the coronavirus, talks were suspended and docu- Philippines in general, because it means justice is cating the passports of their housemaids. Article 20 of the residency law, which applies to ments have not been reviewed and signed yet,” the Domestic helpers also have the right to own a domestic helpers. The cost includes a 14-day quar- source added. phone, work not more than 12 hours a day and get antine, according to health requirements, meals, enough rest and a weekly day off. They are also security and three PCR tests. The tickets are not Recruitment ban 680,000 prevented from being transferred to other employ- included in the return program, as they are differ- On Jan 3, 2020, the Philippines implemented a ers without written consent from the worker. As of ent depending on destination. ban on sending domestic workers to Kuwait fol- workers as of June 2020, there were nearly 680,000 domestic Domestic workers must hold a document from a lowing the death of Jeanelyn Padernal Villavende workers in Kuwait - 325,000 from India and nearly laboratory accredited by their countries showing on Dec 28, 2019. The ban was lifted a month later June 2020 150,000 from the Philippines. Local and their they tested negative before boarding their flights after consultations with the Philippines international partner agencies are allowed to to Kuwait. When arriving in Kuwait, the passen- Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the filing of charge employers up to KD 990 for hiring new gers will be subjected to another PCR test, and if appropriate charges against the perpetrators and domestic helpers. the tests’ results are negative, the workers will be after Manila and Kuwait City agreed the full transferred directly to the designated places for a implementation of a harmonized employment con- being served here in Kuwait,” the secretary of a Online platform 14-day quarantine in line with the health require- tract for Filipino domestic workers. On Dec 30, recruitment agency told Kuwait Times. Kuwait had allowed the return of domestic ments. By the end of the 14-day quarantine, the 2020, a death verdict by hanging was handed by “We want to hear from the Philippine govern- helpers with valid visas but stuck abroad starting workers will undergo a third PCR test, and can go the criminal court to a Kuwaiti woman who killed ment on their commitment to deploy housemaid as Dec 7, 2020. On Thursday, aviation authorities to their sponsors’ homes if the results are negative. Villavende. The woman’s husband was sentenced soon as possible. I think it’s just a matter of time - announced launching an online platform named As for those who have positive results, the to four years in jail for covering up and not report- the January 17 permission to welcome new house- ‘BelSalamah’ to facilitate the return of domestic Ministry of Health (MoH) will be responsible for ing the crime. maids to Kuwait came right on time. We are ready workers from so-called ‘high-risk’ countries, in line transferring them to other quarantine facilities.

News in brief

Smart licenses starting today

KUWAIT: The interior ministry will start issu- ing smart licenses for all drivers - citizens and expats - from today, Al-Rai Arabic daily report- ed. The ministry began issuing smart licenses for Kuwaitis from August, and to first-timers from Sept 27. Informed sources said traffic depart- ments in all governorates will receive expats and bedoons to exchange their current licenses with the smart ones, which allows them to drive in any country in the world. The sources said the new licenses have high security specifications and are “impossible to forge,” according to them. The license has a chip that stores the holder’s data.

Marijuana farm found

KUWAIT: The Drugs Control General Department said a house in Surra was raided earlier last week, where officers found an area that was transformed into a marijuana farm, Al- Anbaa Arabic daily reported. Two Kuwaitis were arrested and officers confiscated the mari- juana, 70 Captagon pills, 50 gm of hashish and seven marijuana seedlings, in addition to seeds the suspects said they obtained by courier. The department acted after receiving tips that the Surra house was used to cultivate marijuana, so investigations were carried out, confirming the tips. A warrant was obtained and the raid was carried out. The suspects claimed the illicit sub- stances were for personal use, but evidence point to them trading in drugs.

Oil price down

KUWAIT: The price of Kuwaiti oil went down by 31 cents to $55.61 per barrel Friday, after being at $55.92 pb the day before, said the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) yesterday. The price of Brent crude went down by $1.32 to $55.10 per barrel, the same case with the West Texas Intermediate, which went down by $1.21 cents to $52.36 pb. 4 Established 1961

Sunday, January 17, 2021 Local

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Hair cysts common among men in Kuwait By Abdellatif Sharaa

KUWAIT: Bariatric surgeon at Sabah Hospital Dr Mohammad Al-Slaimi said hair cyst cases are widespread in Kuwait and doctors frequently carry out operations KUWAIT: A view of the Jaber Causeway taken near the Free Trade Zone. —Photo by Fouad Al-Shaikh for such cases. Hair cyst is usually found at the lower part of the and Morocco. He re-affirmed Kuwait’s stance back, he said, adding regarding the Western Sahara issue. Kuwait sup- Dr Mohammad Kuwait strongly Kuwait participates that its symptoms ports the unity of the Moroccan territories and its Al-Slaimi include pain and is sovereignty on the southern provinces, he said. In often accompanied deplores Houthi in Western Sahara addition, he stressed the importance of the with pus and blood secretions. Dr Slaimi said in a Moroccan initiative on the autonomy in the Sahara, press statement that it is possible to remove the drone attack autonomy conference describing it as a fair and permanent framework hair cyst without leaving scars, pointing out that for resolving this regional dispute. men get hair cysts more frequently than women, KUWAIT: Kuwait strongly condemns Yemeni Houthi RABAT: Morocco organized on Friday an interna- Yahya extolled the Moroccan’s efforts to develop noting such cases are common between the ages militia’s launching of several explosives-laden drones tional conference via videoconference on autono- the Western Sahara by implementing development of 14 to 30. towards Saudi territories on Friday, the Foreign my of the Western Sahara, with the participation of projects to rehabilitate these regions and turn them Dr Slaimi explained that hair cyst operations Ministry said. “The persistence of such cowardly ter- 40 countries including Kuwait. Kuwait’s into an economic center in the African continent. include two procedures, the first is opening and rorist acts signal a clear defiance to the international Ambassador to Morocco Abdullatif Al-Yahya said The participants expressed their support to the emptying the cyst which is more common and is community and a blatant violation of the international his participation in this conference demonstrates Moroccan initiative, considering it the only fair and done at the doctor’s clinic with local anesthesia. law,” the ministry said in a press statement. It argued Kuwait’s support to Morocco. He reiterated the permanent solution to the regional dispute over the The second procedure is to remove the cyst that such acts threaten the security and stability of deep-rooted brotherly relations between Kuwait Western Sahara. —KUNA after making sure the first procedure is not the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the entire region enough, and or if the cyst appears again after it and undermine international efforts to end the conflict is first removed. This procedure is done under in Yemen. “This requires an immediate action from the international community to put an end to these Interior Minister tours full anesthesia. He said this procedure takes 45 assaults,” it emphasized. The ministry expressed minutes and the patient may go home a few Kuwait’s solidarity with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia hours later, but will need four weeks to return to and full support to whatever measures it might take border security department his normal daily activities. to protect its security and stability. —KUNA

KUWAIT: Interior Minister Sheikh Thamer Al- The minister also gave instructions to provide Sabah carried out a tour at the border security department personnel with the latest security department recently, during which he gave systems to better serve the public at border orders to establish a police station at Kuwait checkpoints, the Interior Ministry’s Relations International Airport where cases can be sent to and Security Media Department said in a press instead of the Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh police station. statement. International SUNDAY, JANUARY 17, 2021 Flowers, hope and consent forms for India’s Coffin stored in break room as LA funeral home overwhelmed Page 6 huge vaccine rollout Page 7

RAMALLAH: A handout picture provided by the Palestinian Authority’s press office (PPO) on Friday, shows Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas (right) handing the elections decree to the chairman of the central election committee Hanna Nasser, in the West Bank city of Ramallah. —AFP Abbas announces Palestinian elections Long-delayed polls slated for May 22; Hamas welcomes decision

RAMALLAH, Palestinian Territories: Palestinian president ed with 62 percent support to replace the late Yasser Arafat. clashes erupted in the Gaza Strip between the two principal and Sudan were condemned across the Palestinian political Mahmud Abbas on Friday announced dates for the first There has been no indication from Fatah as to whether the Palestinian factions, with Hamas ultimately seizing control of spectrum. They also broke with decades of Arab League Palestinian elections in more than 15 years, setting legislative 85-year-old Abbas intends to seek re-election. A rare poll Gaza. Numerous attempts at reconciliation, including a pris- consensus against recognition of Israel until it reached an polls for May 22 and a July 31 presidential vote. Abbas’s by the Palestinian Centre for Policy and Research carried out oner exchange agreement in 2012 and a short-lived coalition agreement to end the Palestinian conflict that included the Fatah party, which controls the Palestinian Authority based in last year said Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh would beat government two years later, have failed to close the rift. creation of Palestinian state, with a capital in east Jerusalem. the occupied West Bank, and the Hamas Islamists, who hold Abbas in a presidential election. But experts have said intra-Palestinian reconciliation Palestinian leaders have also voiced hope that the incom- power in Gaza, have for years expressed interest in taking talks have taken on greater urgency following a series of ing administration of US President-elect Joe Biden will lead Palestinians back to the polls. East Jerusalem US-brokered normalization agreements signed between to renewed diplomacy on the Palestinian cause. The PA cut A long-standing rivalry between the two main Palestinian The statement from Abbas said he expects polls will be Israel and four Arab states. The deals to normalize ties with ties with President Donald Trump’s administration, accusing factions was seen as a leading factor in stalling progress held “in all governorates of Palestine, including east Israel signed by the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco it of egregious bias towards Israel. —AFP towards a new vote. But Fatah and Hamas have lately been Jerusalem”, which was annexed by Israel following the 1967 engaged in unity talks, reaching an agreement in principle in Six-Day War but is considered occupied territory. Israel September to hold elections in 2021. bans all Palestinian Authority activity in east Jerusalem, and Hamas on Friday welcomed Abbas’s announcement. “In there was no indication the Jewish state would allow a recent months, we have worked to overcome obstacles in Palestinian vote within the city. order to reach this day,” it said in a statement. It added that it Israel’s right-wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, looked to “free elections in which voters can express them- who faces his own re-election contest in March, describes selves without pressure and without restrictions, in all fair- Jerusalem as Israel’s “undivided capital”. Palestinian Prime ness and transparency”. Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh said his government “was A statement on the official Palestinian Wafa news agency ready to get things going to facilitate the electoral process, said Abbas has signed “a presidential decree concerning in total transparency, while waiting for pluralism”. elections”, specifying the May and July dates. “This Some 2.8 million Palestinians live in the West Bank, while announcement was eagerly awaited,” Palestinian analyst Arif the densely populated Gaza Strip is home to two million. The Jaffal, head of the Arab World Democracy and Electoral last Palestinian parliamentary elections in 2006 saw Hamas Monitor, said. “It is a very important step,” he said. win an unexpected landslide. The polls resulted in a brief The 2005 Palestinian presidential vote saw Abbas elect- unity government but it soon collapsed and in 2007, bloody

The election took place after one of the most violent Museveni extends campaigns in years, with harassment and arrests of the opposition, attacks on the media and the deaths of at least 54 people. While the government said the vote 35-year rule with went off peacefully, Wine alleged widespread fraud such as ballot box stuffing and said his party agents had in some places been beaten and chased away from disputed election win polling stations. “Whatever is being declared is a com- KAMPALA: Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni has won a sixth plete sham, we reject it and we dissociate ourselves term in office with almost 60 percent of votes, in an with it,” he said on Friday. election his main rival Bobi Wine has said was marred by fraud and violence, the electoral commission ‘We don’t control them’ announced yesterday. The veteran leader, who took Wine’s home remained sealed off by soldiers and power in 1986, is one of Africa’s longest serving presi- police on Saturday, after he told AFP Friday evening dents, and faced a stiff battle from the 38-year-old for- that security forces had breached the fence around it mer ragga singer whose turn to politics fired up the and he felt under “siege”. “They jumped over my youthful population. fence. They came inside my compound. I feel threat- Wine was under heavy guard at his home on the ened,” said the 38-year-old. The army’s deputy outskirts of Kampala as results were announced, with spokesman Deo Akiiki said the soldiers were there his party saying he was under “effective house arrest”, for “his own security and the security of people while the government said it was merely providing him around him”. with security. The singer-turned-MP was among 10 However the spokesman for Wine’s National Unity opposition candidates and came second with 34.8 per- Platform (NUP), Joel Ssenyonyi, NUP spokesman says cent of the votes, behind Museveni with 58.6 percent. Bobi Wine “is under effective house arrest”, and did not “The electoral commission declares Yoweri rule out protests following the announcement of the Museveni... elected President of the republic of vote. “People are angry because their vote has been Uganda,” said election commission chairman Justice stolen. They don’t need me or Bobi Wine to tell them to Simon Mugenyi Byabakama. He said turnout was 57.22 get angry... Even we can’t control them.” Police have of almost 18 million registered voters. Byabakama advised people not to go out to celebrate or protest urged the population to “remain calm and accept the when results are announced, citing draconian COVID- outcome of these elections” while reminding those cel- 19 regulations, which have regularly been used to crack ebrating to be mindful of the Covid-19 pandemic. down on the opposition. —AFP

inspired by a militant vision of Sunni Islam and dominat- Friend or foe? ed by Arabs. Tehran has long dismissed claims of links to Al-Qaeda, and Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif accused Pompeo Controversy over of “ending his disastrous career with more warmongering lies.” Zarif noted that all the militants who carried out Al- Qaeda’s 9/11 attacks on the United states came from Iran-Qaeda claim Pompeo’s “favorite ME destinations,” a pointed reference PARIS: Iran has for years faced accusations of coopera- to Iran’s regional rival Saudi Arabia. tion with Al-Qaeda despite stark ideological differences, Daniel L. Byman, a professor at Georgetown but while mutual interests may have sometimes converged University, described the relationship between Iran and any relationship has been marked by distrust, analysts say. Al-Qaeda as “troubled and mutually suspicious.” “In gen- US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s claim-made just a eral, there is cooperation, and Iran does provide some week before President Donald Trump leaves office-that sanctuary,” he said, adding that “Iran has put limits on Al- Iran was the “new Afghanistan” for Qaeda militants sur- Qaeda even as it has provided a haven”. prised observers, who said there was no evidence of the The New York Times reported that Pompeo succeed- country being used as a base. ed in “bewildering counterterrorism officials” with his He also stated publicly for the first time that Al- comments, with some saying his assertions “appeared to Qaeda’s number two, Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah, known represent his own analytic conclusions” rather than those as Abu Muhammad Al-Masri, was assassinated in Tehran of US intelligence. “The relationship between Al-Qaeda in August, buttressing allegations that Iran has at times and Iran since 9/11 has vacillated between periods of hos- offered sanctuary to the extremists. On paper, Iran and tility and cautious accommodation,” said Bryce Loidolt, a Al-Qaeda are ideological foes-the former the Persian research fellow at the Washington-based Institute for regional heavyweight guided by Shia Islam, the latter National Strategic Studies. —AFP 6 Established 1961 International Sunday, January 17, 2021 Coffin stored in break room as LA funeral home overwhelmed Shortage of coffins in Los Angeles due to lack of wood LOS ANGELES: A corpse in the break room. use this room for space for caskets,” said the owner. Embalmed bodies in the garage. Boyd Funeral “We’ve done the services but the cemetery is so Home, a small family business in Los Angeles, is so backed up... we have to hold them here until they overflowing with COVID-19 victims it has begun have time to do the burial.” turning away customers for the first time in its his- tory. “The weekend before I turned down 16 fami- Bodies in the garage lies that I couldn’t do services for,” said owner Like much of surrounding South Los Angeles, the Candy Boyd. Westmont neighborhood is mainly inhabited by “It’s sad. But that’s pretty much how it is now.” Black and Latino working class communities living In the past two weeks, as coronavirus has in densely populated homes. These demographics slammed Los Angeles, some 80 percent of the have been hit particularly hard by COVID, with deceased passing through her doors died from mortality rates two or three times higher than near- COVID. One-in-10 residents of the nation’s second by affluent communities. Boyd’s funeral home cold largest city has been infected since the pandemic storage room has been consistently full. began, with nearly 300 people dying daily last week Two weeks ago, Boyd brought in craftsmen to as the virus surges. erect two large wooden structures in the company’s At Boyd’s reception desk, the phones keep ring- garage to store embalmed bodies. “He hasn’t even ing, mostly going unanswered as her overwhelmed gotten a chance to really finish because we needed staff have abandoned setting appointments and now (to store) these,” she said, pointing to corpses LOS ANGELES: Candy Boyd, owner of the Boyd Funeral home, speaks during an interview next to an empty casket and tell customers to just show up and get in line. She is wrapped in body bags lying on the rough shelves. cabinets built for expanded storage capacity of embalmed bodies awaiting burial due to the surge of COVID-19 deaths even receiving calls from desperate families in other “I would never imagined having to build that in in Los Angeles. — AFP counties more than an hour’s drive away. my wildest dreams.” Some funeral homes have Many hospital morgues are also full, with local reported a shortage of coffins due to lack of wood, Boyd has since created safety protocols and now families who still refuse to wear masks or respect coroners using refrigerated trucks to accommodate though Boyd’s supplier has kept up with orders so feels comfortable dealing with the influx, although physical distance, even as they make arrangements the victim load and some cemeteries warning of two long as they are placed early enough. she insists it is “not about the money.” “It’s about to bury their loved ones. “The numbers don’t lie. It’s week waiting lists. “Things are getting more and helping families and helping them get through this true. It’s real,” said Boyd of the disease. more out of control,” said Boyd. During AFP’s visit ‘Nightmares’ crisis,” she said. “It takes a toll on me every day, I’m Cases in California have more than doubled since this week, a casket topped with a small wreath of Worried about her five staff catching the virus at dealing with this,” Boyd added. “And I have to keep a early December to 2.8 million. flowers occupied the employee break room beyond the start of the pandemic, Boyd initially refused to stolid face because I have to be there for the family.” “If you don’t take it serious,” she warned an AFP the front desk. It had been there for a week. “This accept COVID victims. “I was having nightmares. I Sometimes, customers are people she has long journalist, “you could be one of the people that are room is our lunch area, however, we are having to couldn’t eat, I couldn’t sleep,” she recalled. known personally. Other times, Boyd encounters in my back row back there, you know!” —AFP Brazil’s Amazonas An indiscriminate state transfers airport attack means COVID patients many families are in MANAUS, Brazil: Facing the imminent collapse of its health system, Amazonas state in northern Brazil mourning: ICRC started transferring coronavirus patients to other regions Friday as hospitals run out of beds and oxy- By Dominik Stillhart gen. Nine patients out of 235 identified for transfer were flown in the early morning hours to the state SANAA, Yemen: My visit to Yemen was one of Piaui on an air force plane, state authorities filled with heartbreak, following the deaths of reported, with further flights planned to other states three of our colleagues. It’s heartbreaking that later Friday. the people of Yemen have suffered so much vio- Amazonas state, with Manaus as its capital, has lence in the last five years, that ongoing fighting been hard hit by a resurgence of the virus. causes daily losses and despair at a time when It has a death rate of 143 per 100,000 inhabi- people are dealing with a global pandemic on tants, one of the highest in Brazil, with a national A COVID-19 patient, one of 12 to be transferred in a military airplane, is assisted by medical staff at the Ponta Pelada air- top of the consequences of protracted conflict. average of 98.5 deaths per 100,000. During the port in Manaus, Amazonas State, Brazil, Friday amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. — AFP The attack at Aden airport on December 30 first wave of the Covid-19 epidemic last April, the was indiscriminate and a stark reminder of what Amazon rainforest city saw haunting scenes of mass medical assistance have angered Brazilians and have done our part with resources, means,” he said. civilians caught up in conflict and violence in graves and corpses piled into refrigerator trucks. augmented criticism of President Jair Bolsonaro’s A ten-day curfew of 7:00 pm to 6:00 am enters Yemen endure. Latest official figures say that 28 With hospitalizations in Manaus reaching even handling of the pandemic. The country has record- into force in the state Friday in a bid to stop the people died and 113 were wounded, among them higher levels this time round, the city has again had ed more than 207,000 deaths from Covid-19, sec- rapid viral spread. A court on Saturday forced travelers, airport employees, families seeing peo- to deploy refrigerator trucks. It is also the origin of ond only to the United States. Amazonas state government to shut non-essential ple off or welcoming them home, who saw their a new virus variant recently detected in Japan, and businesses for 15 days. In the early morning of world change in an instant. which scientists warn is likely more contagious than ‘We have done our part’ Friday, an air force plane brought nine oxygen Three of our colleagues were also killed in the the original, though it is not clear if this is the rea- Bolsonaro, who has downplayed the virus and cylinders for Amazonas hospitals, adding to more attack-Saidi Kayiranga, Hamid Al-Qadami and son for the resurgence. railed against lockdowns, face masks and other “hys- than 400 delivered in the last five days. Oxygen is Ahmed Wazir-three dedicated International Images of people bringing oxygen tanks to hos- teria,” on Friday told supporters in Brasilia it was needed to treat people who suffer breathing prob- Committee of the Red Cross staff helping people pitals and of patients complaining about a lack of “terrible the problem there” in Amazonas. “Now we lems as the coronavirus attacks their lungs. —AFP in need. As difficult as the visits were, I am glad that I got to meet with grieving family members, to extend my support and share heartfelt condo- dor accepted. lences on behalf of the entire ICRC. Our injured Outgoing Trump The military award was created to honor allied colleagues are also in our thoughts, as well as all leaders in World War II and had gone into obscurity those who witnessed and survived the attack and until it was revived by Trump, who last month also are dealing with the psychological and physical fetes Morocco king, presented it to the prime ministers of Australia, after-effects. India and Japan. “His vision and personal courage- This is not the first such attack in Yemen rallies behind claim including his decision to resume ties with the State where civilians have borne the brunt and the of Israel-have positively reshaped the landscape of losses. We have said it many times before and we WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump, in a the Middle East and North Africa and ushered in a will keep repeating it: all those involved in the last-minute push to solidify Morocco’s normaliza- new era of security and prosperity for both our violence in Yemen must spare and safeguard tion with Israel, bestowed a rare award Friday on its countries and the world,” a White House statement civilians and ensure that humanitarian workers king as his administration rallied international sup- said. The State Department’s top official on the can perform their duties. port in a regional dispute. Middle East, David Schenker, on Friday joined Trump, who sees Arab recognition of Israel as a Morocco in a virtual conference on Western Sahara Moroccan King Mohammed VI ICRC response to US designation in Yemen key overseas achievement of his presidency, last that highlighted Trump’s position. Forty nations par- We are increasingly alarmed about the situa- month broke decades of precedent by recognizing ticipated with 27 at the ministerial level, a joint President-elect Joe Biden has not committed to tion across Yemen and committed to doing all we Morocco’s full sovereignty over contested Western statement said. maintaining Trump’s recognition of Moroccan sov- can to help alleviate suffering and deliver assis- Sahara, with Morocco in turn saying it would nor- “Participants committed to continue their advocacy ereignty in Western Sahara, a former Spanish tance. On top of the ongoing and deadly violence malize relations with the Jewish state. The White for a solution, using Morocco’s autonomy plan as the colony where tensions have simmered since the in different parts of the country, COVID-19 has House said it presented King Mohammed VI with sole framework for resolving the Western Sahara dis- 1970s as the Algerian-backed Polisario Front fights affected many communities, seasonal infectious the Legion of Merit, degree of Chief Commander, pute,” it said. The countries taking part included Arab for independence. Morocco controls most of diseases claim thousands of lives each year; and five days before Trump’s departure in a private cer- allies of Morocco and smaller developing nations but Western Sahara but its sovereignty is not recog- high inflation has seen the price of food, medi- emony in Washington in which Morocco’s ambassa- also France, Morocco’s foreign ministry said. nized by the United Nations. — AFP cine, and other basic goods soar. With that in mind, the ICRC is concerned by the potential negative impact of the U.S designa- President Donald Trump’s outgoing administra- tion of Ansarullah as a foreign terrorist organiza- Pompeo hits Iran, tion slapped sanctions on six people over the tion on the humanitarian situation in Yemen, as detentions including Tam Yiu-Chung, Hong Kong’s well as on the provision of impartial humanitarian sole delegate to China’s top lawmaking body, the assistance to those in need. In particular, the China and Cuba in National People’s Congress Standing Committee. It ICRC is concerned about the possible “chilling earlier took action against Hong Kong’s top leader, effect” the designation may have on humanitari- last-minute push Chief Executive Carrie Lam, who acknowledged an action, leading to it being impeded or delayed. that as a result she was no longer able to use a Increased operational risks and possible de-risk- WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Mike credit card or hold a bank account. ing from the banking and private sectors in Pompeo on Friday imposed sanctions on three of China last year pushed through a draconian response to the designation ultimately may con- his primary targets-China, Iran and Cuba-in a security law in Hong Kong after widespread and strain the humanitarian response in Yemen. last-minute push aimed in part at boxing in sometimes violent protests that sought to preserve States that decide to impose such measures must President-elect Joe Biden. Five days before he freedoms guaranteed to the financial hub before consider the humanitarian consequences and turns in his keys at the State Department, Pompeo Britain handed back the territory in 1997. WASHINGTON, DC: In this file photo US Secretary of take steps, such as humanitarian carve-outs, to vowed to punish China over its clampdown in States Mike Pompeo listens as US President Donald mitigate any negative impact on affected popula- Hong Kong-a stance backed by Biden-but moved Pressure on Cuba, Iran Trump speaks during the daily briefing on the novel tions and on impartial humanitarian action. further away from Biden’s goal of easing tensions Antony Blinken, who will appear for a Senate coronavirus, COVID-19, in the Brady Briefing Room at the We are two weeks into 2021. For Yemen, this with Iran and Cuba. confirmation hearing Tuesday to be Pompeo’s suc- White House on April 8, 2020, in Washington, DC. —AFP new year started as the old one ended - with Pompeo condemned as “appalling” the massive cessor, has vowed that the next administration “will violence, fear and loss. People there need sup- operation on January 6 in Hong Kong in which stand with the people of Hong Kong and against imposing sanctions on Cuba’s interior minister, port more than ever and the ICRC, as an inde- China rounded up 55 people including an Beijing’s crackdown on democracy.” But the Biden Lazaro Alberto Alvarez Casas, days after Pompeo pendent, impartial, and neutral humanitarian American lawyer, John Clancey. “We condemn administration is expected to shift course on Cuba said he was putting the island back on the US list actor, will do all we can to assist. PRC actions that erode Hong Kong’s freedoms and Iran, on which hardline stances have become of state sponsors of terrorism. Pompeo pointed to Note: This is a statement from Dominik and democratic processes and will continue to use points of pride in Trump’s Republican Party, which the arrest in 2019 of Cuban dissident Jose Daniel Stillhart, director of ICRC operations, after a visit all tools at our disposable to hold those responsi- saw a boost in support in the crucial state of Florida Ferrer, who was held in a prison run by the interior to Yemen following the deaths late last month of ble to account,” Pompeo said, referring to the from Cuban-Americans. ministry “where he reported being beaten, tortured three ICRC staff in an explosion at Aden’s airport People’s Republic of China. On Friday, the Treasury Department said it was and held in isolation.” — AFP Established 1961 7 International Sunday, January 17, 2021 Flowers, hope and consent forms for India’s huge vaccine rollout India aims to vaccinate around 300m of its 1.3bn people by July NEW DELHI: Hospitals were decked out with gave a thumbs-up with her left. Mohan Ganpat flowers and one politician planted a tree as India Nikam, 53, a security guard at another Mumbai began yesterday its colossal coronavirus vaccine hospital, said he was scared last year as the pan- drive, desperately hoping to end a pandemic that demic raged through the country. has killed 150,000 of its people. India aims to vac- “I felt so happy when I heard that my name was cinate around 300 million of its 1.3 billion people by on the list for vaccinations,” he said. July-a number equal to almost the entire US popu- Physiotherapist Smita Ringanekar, 42, said she lation-with frontline workers, people over 50 and spent months living in a hotel so she could help those deemed high risk first in line. patients and not infect her aged parents at home. “I On day one around 300,000 people were due to haven’t visited any of my friends or relatives for be vaccinated with Covishield, developed by months,” she said. “I have seen people dying,” said AstraZeneca and made by India’s Serum Institute, health worker Santa Roy, 35 in the eastern city of or the homegrown Covaxin. Kolkata, saying he now saw a “ray of hope”. Covaxin is still in clinical trials and recipients Ram Babu, the first recipient in Patna, said he yesterday had to sign a consent form that stated went to the temple on the way to the hospital, and that the “clinical efficacy... is yet to be estab- was “so excited that I couldn’t sleep.” lished”. But Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he launched the vaccination program urged people ‘Deeply challenging’ to reject “propaganda and rumors” about the New infection rates in India have fallen sharply indigenous vaccine. in recent months. On Friday 175 people died com- MUMBAI: Nurses from the Rajawadi Hospital make the victory sign gesture as they pose in front of a television “The world has immense faith in India’s scientists pared to almost 4,000 a day earlier in the United broadcasting live address by India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi before the start of the COVID-19 vaccination drive and capacity of vaccine production,” Modi, 70, said States. But experts are concerned a new wave in Mumbai yesterday. — AFP in a video message. might hit, fuelled by a string of recent mass religious festivals. Authorities are drawing on their experi- ‘Ray of hope’ ence with India’s massive elections and child immu- stored at ultra-low temperatures-and in a country shared hundreds of times-debunked by AFP Fact Inside a 15,000-bed field hospital in Mumbai, nization programs for polio and tuberculosis. But in with scorching summers. There are also concerns Check-claimed no vegetarian had died from authorities set up 15 vaccination booths and an enormous, impoverished nation with often shod- about plans to manage the entire process digitally COVID. A recent survey of 18,000 people across expected to inoculate up to 1,000 people yester- dy transport networks and one of the world’s worst- via India’s own app, CoWIN-of which there are India found that 69 percent were in no rush to get a day. “Back in May, it felt like a losing battle. We funded healthcare systems, it is still a daunting already several fake versions. COVID-19 jab. Anecdotal evidence suggests that were getting 200 cases a day,” said Rajesh C. Dere, undertaking. Child inoculations are a “much smaller the approval of Covaxin without data from phase 3 46, the dean. “Today I feel a great sense of satisfac- game” and vaccinating against Covid-19 is “deeply Fake news human trials has further eroded trust among doc- tion that we have succeeded.” challenging”, said Satyajit Rath from the National And as in other countries, there is skepticism tors and patients alike. But with “Thank you Modi” The facility’s first recipient was a young female Institute of Immunology. about the vaccine, fuelled by a torrent of hoaxes posters on the wall, Chand Wattal, 60, a senior health worker in lab coat and mask. There was Both approved vaccines need to be kept refrig- and baseless rumors online about the virus. For Delhi doctor who was among the first to be vacci- applause as she got the jab in her right arm and erated, and others being developed will need to be example, multiple Facebook and Twitter posts nated-with Covishield-wasn’t worried. — AFP

after the quake struck, as a strong News in brief Hunt for buried aftershock jolted the area yesterday morning. Grieving relatives began survivors after burying the dead at a local cemetery. Serbia gets Sinopharm jabs Planes and boats packed with food and other emergency supplies were BELGRADE: Serbia became one of the first Indonesia quake arriving, with the navy reportedly European countries to receive a Chinese-made sending a ship equipped with mobile COVID-19 vaccine yesterday when one million MAMUJU, Indonesia: Rescuers medical services as Mamuju’s still- doses of a jab produced by Sinopharm arrived scrambled to find buried survivors standing hospitals were flooded with at Belgrade airport. President Aleksandar yesterday after a powerful earthquake hundreds of injured. Rescuers said a Vucic posted a picture of himself on on Indonesia’s Sulawesi Island killed shortage of heavy equipment was Instagram, standing next to the plane carrying dozens, injured hundreds and left slowing the search effort, while thou- the vaccine. “We are proud of our friendship more feared trapped in the rubble of sands left homeless by the quake set with China,” he was quoted as saying by Beta collapsed buildings, as monsoon rains up makeshift shelters on higher news agency, telling reporters that he hoped to lashed the disaster-struck region. At ground-many little more than tarpau- be inoculated with the Sinopharm vaccine in least 46 people died after the 6.2- lin-covered tents that were lashed by six or seven days. —AFP magnitude quake struck in the early heavy downpours. hours of Friday, triggering panic “We’re running out of food. There MAMUJU: Rescuers move the body of a victim that was trapped in a collapsed build- ing in Mamuju yesterday. —AFP among residents of the island, which hasn’t been any aid from the govern- World migration down 30% was hit by a 2018 quake-tsunami dis- ment yet,” 24-year-old survivor Desti aster that killed thousands. Search- told AFP from hard-hit Majene, Indonesians goes by one name. had pulled eight corpses from under UNITED NATIONS: The coronavirus pan- and-rescue worked through the night adding that some survivors at the Authorities have not given a figure for the building, while five members of a demic has slowed global migration by nearly 30 as they pulled dozens of bodies from camp needed medical attention. the number of residents who could family of eight were found dead in the percent, with around two million fewer people beneath crumpled buildings in “Some people are using coconut still be trapped under buildings crumpled remains of their home. than predicted migrating between 2019 and Mamuju, a city of about 110,000 peo- leaves as mats,” she added. Many sur- reduced to twisted metal and con- Among the Mamuju survivors was a 2020, according to a UN report released on ple in West Sulawesi province, where vivors are unable to return to their crete chunks, including the hospital pair of young sisters plucked from Friday. Some 281 million people were living a hospital was flattened and a shop- destroyed homes, or too scared to go that collapsed with more than a dozen under the mass of concrete and other outside their country of origin in 2020. The ping mall lay in ruins. back fearing more quakes or a tsuna- patients and staff inside. debris. The pair are now being treated report, entitled “International Migration 2020,” Others were killed south of the city mi, said Desti, who like many Yesterday, authorities said they in hospital. —AFP showed that two-thirds of registered migrants lived in just 20 countries, with the United States at the top of the list, with 51 million international Magnusson, adding that “about three hours” is all migrants in 2020. Next came Germany with 16 Iceland leads the that is needed to determine the virus strain. million, Saudi Arabia with 13 million, Russia with The entire process, from isolating the DNA to 12 million and Britain with nine million. —AFP way in COVID sequencing it, can take up to a day and a half, and has enabled Iceland to identify 463 separate vari- ants-which scientists call haplotypes. Prior to UN peacekeeper killed sequencing sequencing, the DNA of each sample is first isolat- ed, then purified using magnetic beads. The samples BANGUI: A Burundian peacekeeper was killed REYKJAVIK, Iceland: Iceland has genetically are then taken to a massive, bright room full of sequenced all its positive COVID-19 cases since the Friday during an ambush by rebels in the Central equipment, where a deafening sound emanates from African Republic, the United Nations said, the fifth start of the pandemic, an increasingly vital practice small machines resembling scanners. The machines as worrying new strains emerge from Britain and soldier killed since a rebel offensive began. The are gene sequencers which map the novel coron- soldier died in an ambush by a coalition of rebels South Africa. The World Health Organization on avirus genome. Friday urged all countries to ramp up genome near Grimari, roughly 300 kilometers northeast of sequencing to help combat the emerging variants. REYKJAVIK: In this file photo Scientists at deCODE genet- the capital Bangui, the UN said, during a security World leader mission to the town with Burundian and Scientists at the Icelandic biopharma group Inside each machine is a black box called a “flow ics are seen working in the laboratorium in Reykjavik, deCODE Genetics’ laboratory in Reykjavik have Iceland. —AFP Bangladeshi peacekeepers. MINUSCA-the UN cell”, a glass slide that contains the DNA molecules. peacekeeping force in the region-also said that worked relentlessly for the past 10 months, analyz- This technology has played a large role in Iceland ing each positive coronavirus test in Iceland at the two Bangladeshi soldiers were lightly wounded. In since the start of the pandemic. “The sequencing of said. While the South African variant has not been a statement from New York, UN Secretary- request of the country’s health authorities. The aim samples is key to helping us follow the state and detected in Iceland, 41 people have been identified as is to trace every case in order to prevent problem- General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned development of the epidemic,” Health Minister carriers of the British variant. All of them were the attack and reiterated his “deep concern over atic ones from slipping through the net. “It takes us Svandis Svavarsdottir told AFP. Authorities have used stopped at the border-where PCR tests are conduct- relatively short time to do the actual sequencing,” the continued destabilization efforts by armed the sequencing information to decide on precise, tar- ed on travellers-effectively preventing the variant’s groups throughout the country”. —AFP explains the head of the lab, Olafur Thor geted measures to curb the spread of the virus, she transmission on the subarctic island. — AFP

said. The Taleban also said two of its “good advancement” even as fighting Although temperatures were expected to Taleban kill 12 fighters had carried out the attack and raged across the war-weary country. Australian bushfire dip overnight from their high of 33 degrees then returned. In a separate incident, a The Taleban’s statement came just hours Celsius (91 Fahrenheit), strong gusty winds vehicle carrying policemen was struck after the Pentagon announced it had cut threatens were forecast. And crews were expecting militiamen in by a roadside bomb in the center of the troop levels in Afghanistan to 2,500, even hotter temperatures on Sunday amid Afghan capital Kabul, police their lowest numbers during the nearly concerns the windy conditions could cause Afghanistan spokesman Ferdaws Faramarz told two decades of fighting. Washington Perth homes the fire to double in size. “What we’re really reporters. Two policemen were killed struck a deal with the Taleban in Qatar trying to do at the moment is bring this fire HERAT, Afghanistan: Two Taleban and one wounded in the attack, he said. last year to begin withdrawing its troops SYDNEY: Australian firefighters said they under control today and have a really strong fighters who had infiltrated a base of Violence has surged across in return for security guarantees from expect to battle an out-of-control bushfire presence tomorrow so it doesn’t flare up,” pro-government Afghan militiamen Afghanistan in recent months, especial- the militants and a commitment to peace well into the night yesterday, as the blaze said Wells. Aerial footage showed at least killed 12 of them, officials and the insur- ly in Kabul, which has been rocked by a talks with Kabul. threatens lives and homes in the west coast one structure ablaze in the area as water gent group said yesterday. The night- new trend of targeted killings. The Those talks are ongoing, but have city of Perth. Residents were told “to act bombing aircraft repeatedly tried to douse time attack at a post manned by the bloodshed comes even as the Taleban stalled amid violence and allegations of immediately to survive” as the flames the fire. Several roads have been closed and militiamen occurred in the district of and government negotiators engage in slow progress. Meanwhile the Taleban approached homes near Oakford, about 35 evacuation centers set up. Ghorian in the western Herat province peace talks to end the nearly two- has continued its lethal assaults on kilometers (22 miles) south of Perth’s city There were also several other wildfires late on Friday, the governor for the dis- decades-long war in the country. Afghan security forces and civilians alike. center, in an emergency warning issued by burning around the edges of the city. trict Farhad Khademi told AFP. Representatives from two warring sides “The withdrawal of other US forces from the Department of Fire and Emergency Western Australia was spared the brunt of “Twelve pro-government militiamen are currently in the Qatari capital Doha Afghanistan, which was announced by Services (DFES). Locals were told to evacu- last summer’s devastating climate change- were killed in the Taleban attack in discussing the agenda for the talks. the US yesterday, is a good advancement ate if the way was clear or to take shelter, as fuelled wildfires, which mostly ravaged the Ghorian district last night,” he said. and practical measure,” tweeted Taleban the fire spewed thick smoke over the area. country’s two most populous states, New Herat provincial council member US troop withdrawal spokesman Mohammad Naeem. Around 150 firefighters were expected to South Wales and Victoria. The fires razed Mohammad Sardar Bahaduri confirmed The Taleban welcomed the latest “Undoubtedly, the practice of the agree- work overnight into Sunday to bring the 80- more than 24 million hectares (49 million the attack and said it was carried out withdrawal of US troops from ment signed between the IEA and the 100 hectare (200-250 acre) blaze under acres) of drought-stricken bushland and for- by two Taleban fighters who had infil- Afghanistan with the insurgents’ US is in the benefit of both countries and control, DFES District Officer Russell Wells est across Australia in late 2019 and early trated the base. “The militiamen were spokesman yesterday calling the contin- nations,” he added, referring to the told media. “There are certainly some chal- 2020, killing more than 30 people and dining when the attack happened,” he ued reduction of American forces a Taleban’s official acronym. —AFP lenging conditions ahead,” Wells said. destroying thousands of homes. —AFP Classifieds Sunday, January 17, 2021

Sabah Hospital 24812000 Amiri Hospital 22450005 Maternity Hospital 24843100 Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital 25312700 Chest Hospital 24849400 Farwaniya Hospital 24892010 Adan Hospital 23940620 Ibn Sina Hospital 24840300 Al-Razi Hospital 24846000 Physiotherapy Hospital 24874330/9 Airlines Kaizen center 25716707 Kuwait Airways 171 Rawda 22517733 Jazeera Airways 177 Turkish Airlines 1884918 Adaliya 22517144 FlyDubai 22414400 Khaldiya 24848075 Qatar Airways 22423888 Kaifan 24849807 KLM 22425747 Royal Jordanian 22418064/5/6 Shamiya 24848913 British Airways 22425635 Shuwaikh 24814507 Air France 22430224 Abdullah Salem 22549134 Emirates 22921555 Air India 22456700 Nuzha 22526804 Air India EXPRESS 22438185/4 Industrial Shuwaikh 24814764 Sri Lanka Airlines 22424444 Egypt Air 22421578 Qadsiya 22515088 Swiss Air 22421516 Dasmah 22532265 Saudia 22426306 Bneid Al-Gar 22531908 Middle East Airlines 22423073 Lufthansa 22422493 Shaab 22518752 PIA 22421044 Qibla 22459381 Bangladesh Airlines 22452977/8 Ayoun Al-Qibla 22451082 Oman Air 22958787 Turkish Airlines 22453820/1 Mirqab 22456536 Sharq 22465401 Salmiya 25746401 112

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Aries (March 21-April 19) Cancer (June 21-July 22) Libra (September 23-October 22) Capricorn (December 22-January 19) Your practical skills should be operating effi- Financial matters might need attention Today you might spend a lot of time on the Memories of past events that caused traumas ciently, Aries. A creative or intellectual discipline that fasci- today. Bills may need to be paid, checks deposited, and phone with friends, some of them seniors. Your conversa- that you're still dealing with could come to light today. nates you might require some intense concentration today. budgeting worked out. Your powers of concentration tions will be loving, informative, and revealing, Libra. As a This is a positive development, as the release of these old You could spend much of the day in the library. You will are high, Cancer, so this is a great day to do this, even result, you might decide to attend some group events in emotions could make it possible for you to progress more quickly on material and spiritual planes. You may feel want to take meticulous notes, but don't worry about it if though you'd rather be doing something more inter- your community. A letter, check, or delivery that had lighter, and you could experience a rush of joy. In the you don't quite catch everything. Your memory should be esting. Don't despair. Your practical skills are good, so been delayed might finally arrive. This is going to release evening, go dancing and work off some of this energy. sharp right now. you're apt to finish quickly. Then you can go play. a lot of tension, as you may have feared it had been lost.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) Leo (July 23-August 22) Scorpio (October 23-November 21) Aquarius (January 20- February 18)

Practical matters involving home and family Some projects might require practical atten- Today you could resolve to work harder Today you might see old and new friend- ships and romantic involvements reach a new under- might need some attention today. This isn't anything alarm- tion today, getting irritating little details cleared up and than ever on whatever it is that brings the results you standing, Aquarius. This creates a stronger commit- ing, Taurus, just a few tasks that you may have put off, such as out of the way. Your natural efficiency is at a peak, Leo, hope for, Scorpio. This is likely to involve nothing so you will probably be able to get these matters done more glamorous than practical tasks, such as getting ment between you and those who care for you. This is house cleaning or yard work. Get other members of your a great day to execute paperwork, particularly legal before you get too bored. The important thing is that paperwork out of the way. Nonetheless, by the end household to help. You have other responsibilities to see to. It contracts. Your business sense is operating at a very you will be able to achieve the results you want. Go to it. of the day you should feel satisfied with your accom- isn't fair to have to do it all by yourself. plishments. If nothing else, it should free you for high level. You're more apt to spot clauses that need more interesting chores. work, so go for it today.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) Virgo (August 23-September 22) Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) Pisces (February 19-March 20) Pursuing intellectual interests may be on hold Matters involving your community might Relatives or old friends, particularly seniors, An important project could require intense today because of career matters. Your ambitions, require your attention. This is likely to involve communica- who visit you today are likely to awaken childhood memo- concentration today, Pisces, and you're in the right frame of whatever they are, could get a shot in the arm through some tion in some way. Perhaps you want to make some phone ries that you'd long since forgotten. Some of them might mind. You could be pleased with the results and so could new information, possibly from far away. This could be uncov- calls, write letters, or place an ad or article in a local news- come as a shock, but they will all release hang-ups that others whose opinions matter. Expect public acknowledg- paper. Communication of all sorts should go well, Gemini, you've been trying to expunge for a while. You might feel ered in a newspaper, book, conversation with a friend, or ment of some kind. A boost to your self-confidence is in the and you might find that it opens new doors to understand- like you've just dropped a ton of weight - and you have. online. Whichever it is, Sagittarius, it's likely to work for you, so works, perhaps even a raise in income. Work hard, enjoy the spotlight, and treat yourself to an evening out. ing between you and those closest to you. Psychological weight can be as heavy as anything physical. make use of it. Established 1961

SUNDAY, JANUARY 17, 2021 Business Zapping COVID: Tech sector takes aim at COVID with new gadgetry Virus-zapping drones, smart masks and disease-predicting wearables

WASHINGTON: From virus-zapping drones to which can detect changes in vital signs that could smart masks to disease-predicting wearables, the be linked to Covid-19. The patch, meant to be tech sector is showcasing ways to detect and worn on a person’s chest, can detect skin tem- mitigate the coronavirus outbreak. The health perature, heart rate, coughing frequency and crisis which forced this week’s 2021 Consumer more, according to the company. Electronics Show online has also spawned inno- The BioButton device, which is paired with vations for fighting the pandemic. mobile applications, “represents a significant Drone maker Draganfly showcased its camera advancement in making continuous medical- technology which can be used to offer alerts on grade monitoring reliable, effortless and cost- social distancing, and also detect changes in effective,” said company CEO James Mault. “The people’s vital signs which may be early indicators convenience of the BioButton will support a of Covid-19 infections. Draganfly chief Cameron range of clinical use cases... and mass market use Chell said the “vital intelligence assessment” sys- to enable safe return to work or school.” tem can be “deployed from any camera, not just a drone camera,” to measure vital signs such as Smart masks, doorbells heart or respiratory rate and blood pressure. Startup AirPop Health unveiled is Active+ The company has been deploying its drones, Smart Mask which captures breathing-related which can spray disinfectant in large public data and incorporates a sensor which can tell spaces like stadiums, similar to other robotic dis- wearers when to replace their mask’s filter. “This infection systems being deployed during the product embodies the AirPop mission-to help pandemic. “This allows public places to have the people better understand and take control of opportunity to be opened up again,” Chell told a their respiratory health through a human-cen- CES online briefing. “We’re completely over- tered approach to design, science and technolo- whelmed with demand.” gy,” said Chris Hosmer, AirPop’s founder. The The health crisis which forced this year’s Consumer Electronics Show online has spawned innova- In a similar vein to the Draganfly system, gaming tech firm Razer meanwhile showed its tions for fighting the COVID pandemic Taiwan-based FaceHeart demonstrated its soft- Project Hazel mask which features rechargeable ware which can be installed in cameras for con- ventilators and a transparent design “so those fever is present. tive solutions to ensure safety for all employees tactless measurement of vital signs. FaceHeart around you can view facial cues such as a smile Meanwhile Taiwan-based electronics firm at the workplace,” founder Shau-Gang Mao said. said its algorithms scan for signs of severe short- or laugh and allow the hard of hearing to lip read iWavenology introduced its iDistance wearable “That is why iWavenology created a simple ness of breath, high fever, dehydration, elevated what the wearer is saying,” according to the device which can be used to prevent infections device that generates an alarm whenever a per- heart rate and other symptoms which are early company. Another gadget unveiled at the all-dig- by sounding an alarm when people fail to respect son comes too close to another.” indicators of COVID-19. ital show was the Ettie video doorbell from the social distancing guidelines. The tags can be The all-digital trade event, which was forced One new wearable tech device being shown at smart home startup Plott, which takes the tem- worn around a person’s arm and can function in a to move to an online format because of the pan- CES from Colorado-based BioIntelliSense is a perature of a visitor at the front door with an workplace or outdoor environment. “The pan- demic, included some 1,800 exhibitors and con- coin-sized wearable sticker called BioButton infrared sensor, allowing consumers to see if a demic requires everyone to think about innova- cluded Thursday. —AFP

ensuring that there are still as many tickets, as many Emirates stops seats available into Australia,” Finance Minister Simon Birmingham said. A small number of airlines-including Qatar flights to three Airways and Singapore Airlines-are still running services to Australia but local media were already Australian cities reporting delays and cancellations among returning travellers. Australia’s borders have effectively been SYDNEY: Emirates has suspended flights to closed since March to curb the spread of the virus, Australia’s three largest cities as the country further with the government even limiting the number of restricts international arrivals over fears of new citizens allowed to return. Last week travel restric- virus strains. The Dubai-based carrier was one of tions were further tightened, with arrival numbers the last to maintain routes into and out of the coun- slashed and all travellers into the country requiring try’s east coast throughout most of the pandemic a negative COVID-19 test before flying. but on Friday evening told travellers a handful of In making the changes, Prime Minister Scott planned flights next week would be the last. “Due to Morrison cited a growing number of people in quar- operational reasons, Emirates flights to/from antine testing positive for new strains of COVID-19. Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne will be suspended Fears that a variant of the virus from Britain, believed until further notice,” Emirates said on its website. to be more contagious, had leaked into Brisbane The airline will still run two flights a week to from hotel quarantine triggered a snap lockdown in Perth, but the cuts are another barrier for tens of the city last week. “There are many unknowns and thousands of stranded Australians still attempting to uncertainties in relation to the new strain, and so return home. The Australian government responded that’s why this precautionary approach, we believe, by announcing more repatriation flights and said is very sensible,” Morrison said. Australia continues other carriers still flying services to the cities could to deal relatively well with the virus, having recorded fill the gap. “The capacity that Emirates was able to about 28,600 cases and 909 deaths linked to use within the cap will be allocated to other airlines, COVID-19 in a population of 25 million. —AFP

Stellantis is born as Peugeot, Fiat complete merger PARIS: The merger of France’s PSA and US- Italian rival Fiat Chrysler becomes official yester- day, creating Stellantis, the world’s fourth-biggest automaker by volume. The long-awaited 50/50 tie-up, which was delayed by the COVID-19 pan- demic, is seen as crucial for the two groups to undertake the investment necessary to transition PARIS: The merger of France’s PSA and US-Italian rival to clean car technology. The new company will Fiat Chrysler becomes official yesterday, creating Stellantis, the world’s fourth-biggest automaker by bring together producers such as Peugeot, volume. Citroen, Fiat, Chrysler, Jeep, Alfa Romeo and Maserati, each of which will continue under their own brand names. November PS chief Carlos Tavares warned that The 14 Stellantis brands will account for about “only the most agile, with a Darwinian spirit, will nine percent of the global auto market. Together survive”. they produced eight million vehicles in 2019. On Tuesday Tavares, as Stellantis chief executive Ranking behind global rivals such as officer, will hold the new group’s first news confer- Volkswagen, Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi and ence, laying out the vison for the newly merged Toyota, Stellantis will be the fourth-largest automaker. The challenges are many, to turn the automaker by volume and the third-largest by rev- range of vehicles to electric-power, to coax back enue, with a workforce of over 400,000. into the new car market drivers who have switched John Elkann, Fiat chairman and scion of Italy’s to used cars or rentals, plus the ongoing coron- storied Agnelli family, will retain his role at avirus pandemic which is putting major dents into Stellantis in what he has called “a challenging era”. many industries. “The coming decade will redefine mobility: we are PSA’s global sales — Peugeot, Citroen, DS, intent on playing a leading role in building this new Ope, Vauxhall — fell by 27.8 percent last year. future,” Elkann said earlier this month after the Matthias Heck of Moody’s sees the merger as a shareholders gave their blessing to what he called good thing for both the French and Italian makers the “historic merger”. because it will “improve their global coverage, On Monday the new group Stellantis, the name they can collaborate at the technological level derived from the Latin verb “stello” meaning to and in various segments and will save money brighten with stars, will launch on the Milan and through the synergies and experience of PSA, Paris stock exchanges followed by its debut in the which has been able to set the right price and New York stock market the following day. In manage its costs”. —AFP 10 Established 1961

Sunday, January 17, 2021 Business Gulf Bank announces Talal Fahad Al-Ajmi as this year’s Al-Danah account grand prize winner of KD 1,500,000

•Al-Danah is one of Gulf Bank’s long-standing savings accounts, rewarding clients for saving •Gulf Bank to announce two new millionaires this year •March 31 is the last chance to participate in Al-Danah account’s upcoming semiannual draw and win KD 1,000,000 prize

KUWAIT: On Thursday evening, Gulf Bank held its annual draw to announce its newest millionaire and the lucky winner of the Al-Danah account’s grand draw prize of KD 1.5 million for the year 2020. This year, the grand prize went to Talal Fahad Salem Al-Ajmi. The winner was announced as part of a virtual draw event that aired on Al- Rai TV, in addition to the radio station Kuwait Pulse FM 88.8 and the Bank’s various social media channels. The draw was held live in the presence of repre- sentatives from the Ministry of Commerce and from Ernst & Young.

Mohammed Al-Qattan

Two millionaires in 2021! excited to be announcing two new The draw event started with a millionaires per year with the Al- short speech from Gulf Bank’s Danah account, and will be giving General Manager of Consumer away a grand prize of KD 1.5 million Banking, Mohammed Al-Qattan, who to one winner, and a semiannual prize touched on the Bank’s most recent of KD 1 million to the other, in addi- achievements, saying: “We have tion to the monthly and quarterly Al- grown accustomed to celebrating Danah prizes. We’re wishing every- Gulf Bank’s grand annual Al-Danah one the best of luck!” account draw with our esteemed The Bank has updated its draw customers, but this year marks a cel- prizes with a remarkable increase in ebration that is bigger than ever! For the semiannual draw prize, now KD 1 the very first time, we will be million, making it the second largest announcing a millionaire who will be prize following the annual grand taking home a KD 1.5 million prize, draw prize of KD 1.5 million. The new the largest prize associated with a draw prize scheme makes Gulf Bank’s bank worldwide. We are also very Al-Danah account one of the most excited to celebrate Gulf Bank’s 60th rewarding savings accounts of the anniversary by announcing Al-Danah year, granting two people the oppor- is bigger than ever, with increased tunities of a lifetime: to become mil- The Gulf Bank executive team with MOCI and EY representatives draw prizes. Moving forward, we are lionaires in 2021! Established 1961 11

Sunday, January 17, 2021 Business

Al-Amir, said: “Today we enjoyed a beautiful evening brimming with multiple segments that reflect Gulf Bank’s foun- dational priorities. These segments high- lighted the Bank’s enduring relationships with its clients over the past sixty years, including the ways in which we support our youth, our emphasis on female empowerment and women working in the banking sector, and Gulf Bank’s ongoing efforts to provide the best investment advice and state-of-the art financial services to our clients. Although this year’s annual Al-Danah draw event was held virtually in the interest of everyone’s safety and in com- Salma Al-Hajjaj pliance with national health require- ments, it is nevertheless the largest cele- bration in Gulf Bank’s history, with the A culture of human capital Bank has invested in human resources. While recalling the various stages To give an example, Gulf Bank’s winner claiming a prize of KD 1.5 mil- that Gulf Bank and its customers have AJYAL program has successfully lion! We would like to take this opportu- undergone throughout the past six graduated six cohorts, cultivating nity to congratulate Talal Al-Ajmi for decades, no role is more apparent generations of young men and women being the first lucky winner to receive than that of Gulf Bank’s employees, who are proudly shaping the future of the largest draw prize offered by Gulf who have demonstrated their loyalty Gulf Bank’s leadership. We are also Bank to date. We wish our other cus- and dedication to customer service on proud to shine a light on the many tomers the best of the luck in the a daily basis. Their commitment and women that have contributed to the upcoming semiannual draw, in which the dedication were especially evident as development and growth of the Bank. winner will take home a prize of KD 1 the Bank navigated the challenges of Gulf Bank’s female employees have million. With that in mind, we would like the past few months in light of health not only proven their competence, but to remind everyone that the last date to restrictions and the national quaran- have also made great strides in con- Ahmad Al-Amir participate in the semi-annual draw for tine and curfews. tributing to, and building, a promising the chance to become a millionaire is During the draw event, Gulf Bank’s future. In so much as they form the A one-of-a-kind virtual Al-Danah millionaire, Gulf Bank’s March 31 and we are hopeful that we General Manager of Human basis of our society, women are also live draw event Assistant General Manager of Corporate will be able to celebrate our next mil- Resources, Salma Al-Hajjaj, said: “The an integral part of the workplace. Following the announcement of the Communications at Gulf Bank, Ahmad lionaire with a live celebration!” human element is one the most impor- Since today also happens to be tant resources that forms the basis for Rewards Day, we have decided to progress, development and growth at reward women all over with an excit- any institution. At Gulf Bank, we ing new product, which will be avail- Al-Danah enriches lives 60 winners with Prepaid Cards containing to both Kuwaiti and non-Kuwaiti residents would not be where we are today had able across all of Gulf Bank’s branches During the event, Gulf Bank debuted a KD 60 each, to be spent on whatever the of Kuwait. A minimum of KD 200 is it not been for the continuous efforts this week - stay tuned for more song by popular singers, Khaled Al-Mulla winners desire. required to open an account and the same of the wonderful people we work details which we will be announcing and Marwa Ben Sghaier, who touched on amount must be maintained for customers with. Over the past 60 years, Gulf soon!” the many life-altering possibilities that Al-Danah’s exclusive loyalty program to be eligible for the upcoming Al-Danah come with winning the Al-Danah account’s increases your chances of winning draws. If the customer’s account balance grand prize. The artists painted an exciting As part of Gulf Bank’s commitment to falls below KD 200 at any given time, a picture of all the possibilities that can reward customers for their loyalty, the Al- KD 2 fee will be charged to the account come with winning an Al-Danah prize, and Danah account provides account holders monthly until the minimum balance is met. the ways in which winning can change with loyalty chances. Loyalty chances are To participate in this year’s upcoming someone’s life. The song alludes to the the total chances gained in the previous monthly, quarterly and annual Al-Danah sheer size and magnitude of the Al-Danah year, which are then transferred to the cur- draws, customers must maintain the prizes and the many ways in which winners rent year to reward customers for their required balance. can spend the draw prizes and enhance loyalty to the Bank. Accordingly, all To deposit into an Al-Danah account, their lives forever. chances gained by existing Al-Danah cus- customers can visit one of Gulf Bank’s tomers in 2020 have been transferred to branches, or transfer directly through Gulf Interviews with the audience the 2021 draws, and this will be repeated Bank’s Online/Mobile Banking services. During the segment, the Gulf Bank team in 2022 onwards. Terms and conditions Customers can also direct their queries via was also shown taking a quick tour of the apply. WhatsApp on 1805805 for round-the- local Souq Al-Mubarakiya, conducting Gulf Bank encourages Al-Danah clock assistance from Gulf Bank represen- short interviews with passersby to ask account holders to increase their chances tatives, or call the Customer Contact them an interesting question: “What would of winning by increasing the amounts Center on the same number. In addition, you do if you won the Gulf Bank Al-Danah deposited into their accounts. With Gulf customers can visit the dedicated Al- account’s grand prize of 1,500,000 Bank, depositing into an Al-Danah account Danah account website to learn more Kuwaiti Dinars?” The visitors’ answers is now easier than ever, as clients can about the account and its winners. varied - some were shocked and amazed deposit into their accounts using the ePay at the prize amount, while others desired service, available through the Bank’s to build a house and a seaside chalet. Still Online/Mobile Banking services. Tareq Al-Saleh others brought up the possibility of invest- The Al-Danah account provides a mul- ing the cash prizes, while another market titude of valuable services to its cus- Recommendations for you are today’s lucky winner or not, visitor expressed that he would donate the tomers, including access to an exclusive draw winners we encourage everyone to make sure money to a charitable cause. Al-Danah ATM card, ideal for depositing Gulf Bank also provided financial they are saving regularly. A great money into their accounts at any time. advice from the Deputy General place to start is by setting up an allo- Social media followers win 60 prizes Account holders can now also calculate Manager of the Economic Research cated amount to be automatically In addition to an exclusive virtual draw their chances of winning the monthly, Unit at Gulf Bank, Tareq Al-Saleh, transferred monthly to your Al-Danah event and as part of a roster of activities quarterly and annual draws using the Al- who said: “The Al-Danah account savings account - in that way, you are planned by Gulf Bank, the Bank continued Danah Calculator, available on Gulf Bank’s offers everyone the chance to make not only saving, but you are also to engage with its social media followers Online and Mobile Banking App. their dreams come true. My advice to increasing your chances of winning throughout the week. In celebration of tonight’s winner is to take advantage the Al-Danah account’s KD 1.5 million Gulf Bank’s 60th anniversary, the Bank Will you be the next millionaire? of this opportunity to secure a better or KD 1 million prizes and more!” As posed questions on the topic of the Al- Deposit before March 31! Scan the QR code and watch the event online! future, and to be mindful of making one of Gulf Bank’s most long-standing Danah savings account all week, awarding Gulf Bank’s Al-Danah account is open smart decisions to avoid financial loss. and established savings accounts, the At Gulf Bank, we provide investment Al-Danah account is designed to advice that suits every client’s needs, encourage a culture of saving in with the opportunity to invest in both Kuwait, and to reward savers for com- the local and global markets. Whether mitting to saving on a regular basis.

Najla Al-Essa

Gulf Bank celebrates 60 Assistant General Manager of many opportunities for rewards are the years of being by your side Marketing, Najla Al-Essa, said: “Over Al-Danah draws, which we have held In celebration of Gulf Bank’s 60th the past sixty years, we have been hon- over the past few years, and which we anniversary, the Bank aired a short ored to have been a part of your lives will continue to hold during the years to video depicting its journey over the and experiences, and to have you share come. In the meantime, we promise to past six decades, in appreciation of the in our journey and our successes. continue providing the highest levels of dedicated customers who have placed Throughout the years, we have proudly customer service, and look forward to their trust in the Bank, and who the rewarded you in multiple ways for your serving our clients for the next sixty Bank has served in return. Gulf Bank’s loyalty and dedication. Among these years and more.” 12 Established 1961 Lifestyle Features Sunday, January 17, 2021 Tyler Perry to receive honorary statuette at Oscars

S filmmaker Tyler Perry will receive “Tyler’s cultural influence extends far since made him a household name in the Perry will receive his at the 93rd an honorary statuette at this year’s beyond his work as a filmmaker,” said US, especially among African Americans, Oscars, due to take place April 25, which UOscars for his humanitarian work, David Rubin, the president of the and he became a billionaire last year, will also see a second Jean Hersholt including efforts to get the entertainment Academy of Motion Picture Arts and according to Forbes-but he remains rela- award handed to the Motion Picture and industry safely back to work during the Sciences. “He has quietly and steadily tively little-known abroad. Perry was sep- Television Fund. The MPTF, co-founded coronavirus pandemic, the Academy focused on humanitarian and social jus- arately honored at television’s Emmys, by silent era megastar Mary Pickford a announced Thursday. The Black enter- tice causes from the beginning of his which were held virtually in September. century ago, offers financial relief and tainment mogul has set up a self-con- career, caring for people who are most The Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award other services to struggling entertainment tained, 330-acre (133-hectare) produc- often ignored.” The 51-year-old Perry-a has been handed out by the Academy industry workers. The Academy changed tion “campus” at a Civil War-era producer, actor, writer and director-first most years since 1957, and last went to its rules for one year only to allow an insti- Confederate military base in Atlanta, achieved mainstream US success with “Thelma & Louise” star Geena Davis for tution to receive the honor, for the first Georgia, where hundreds have been his outspoken grandmother character her work promoting gender equality in time. “The organization’s contribution dur- employed while Covid-19 shuts down Madea in the 2005 movie “Diary of a media. Other previous winners include ing the pandemic has made a significant productions in Los Angeles and else- Mad Black Woman.” A string of Madea Angelina Jolie, Oprah Winfrey and impact on the entertainment community, where. Perry has championed greater films followed, all with Perry in drag in Elizabeth Taylor. In recent years, the providing social services support to near- diversity in Hollywood, produced dozens the role of the title character. He has prize has been awarded at the ly 9,000 industry members in 2020,” the In this file photo Director/actor Tyler Perry of films and TV shows starring mainly also appeared in movies including “Star Academy’s separate Governors Awards Academy said. — AFP poses in the press room during the 76th African American actors, and last year Trek” (2009), “Gone Girl” (2014) and ceremony, held in Los Angeles before the annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly paid funeral costs for victims of police “Vice” (2018). Oscars, but that event has been can- Hilton hotel in Beverly Hills, California. — AFP violence including George Floyd. His films, TV shows and plays have celed this year due to the pandemic. Spike Lee vows to ‘delay Father ‘Parasite’ director ‘We need you’ Time’ as Hollywood bestows honor to head Venice German tenor pike Lee voiced hope for the “next come up and keep this thing going, it wave” of Black filmmakers-but makes me happy,” said Lee. “The happi- film festival jury Kaufmann tells Swarned his own trail-blazing career est people for the success of ‘Black was far from done-as he was honored by Panther’ (were) you, Disney, and I was... Hollywood at a virtual ceremony third,” he told Coogler. outh Korean director Bong Joon- Thursday. Due to the coronavirus pan- Both men reflected on “Black Panther” ho, whose “Parasite” movie won pandemic public demic, Lee accepted the prestigious star Chadwick Boseman, who appeared Sthe Academy Award for Best Picture last year, was named Friday as In this file photo South Korean film director American Cinematheque Award online in “Da 5 Bloods” before succumbing to erman tenor Jonas Kaufmann jury president of the 2021 Venice Film Bong Joon Ho poses with his engraved rather than at the usual star-studded cancer in August. Very few actors could says not being able to perform in Festival. “I’m ready to admire and awards as he attends the 92nd Oscars Beverly Hills gala. The prolific 63-year- play the “revered” and “almost mythical” front of a live audience for months applaud all the great films selected by Governors Ball at the Hollywood & Highland G role of soldier Stormin’ Norman, said Lee. has been hugely detrimental for musi- “I love him and I miss him... even though the festival. I’m filled with genuine hope Center in Hollywood, California. — AFP and excitement,” Bong said in a state- cians who thrive on connecting with real he was only with us for a limited amount people. “What we miss is this connection ment issued by festival organizers. picked up three other statuettes at the of time, he gave us so, so much,” added and it doesn’t matter if they wear masks Festival director Alberto Barbera said Academy Awards for Best Director, Best Coogler. The American Cinematheque or whatever,” the 51-year-old told AFP Bong would be the first South Korean International Feature and Best Original Award is a “mid-career achievement on Thursday after performing at Madrid’s jury president, and saluted him as “one Screenplay. The Venice Film Festival is award,” with previous honorees including Teatro Real opera house. “I would prob- of the most authentic and original voices one of the most prestigious in the world, Al Pacino, Tom Cruise and Steven ably feel them, sense them even if they in worldwide cinema.” rivaling with Cannes and Berlin, and the Spielberg. Before accepting, Lee noted were behind a curtain. But they are “Parasite,” a dark comedy about the oldest. Its 78th edition is scheduled for that many of his films “did not connect there. This is what really matters,” added gap between rich and poor, made history September 1-11, 2021. — AFP with the audience right away” but had the tenor, whose last performance been re-evaluated in recent years. Lee as the first non-English-language movie to win an Oscar for Best Picture. It also before an audience was in November in received an honorary Oscar in late 2015, Denmark. In this file photo Best Director nominee for and won his first competitive Oscar four “BlackKklansman” Spike Lee arrives for the While many of the world’s major ven- years later with best adapted screenplay ues are shut, Spain’s main opera house 91st Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby for “BlacKkKlansman.” Last year, he was Theatre in Hollywood, California. — AFP has remained open-although with small- named the first person of black African er audiences and safety measures such old director, who has entertained and descent to preside at the Cannes film as the mandatory use of face masks- provoked audiences with frank depic- festival. “Let’s keep it going!” Lee con- since July. “For me, being on tour all tions of Black America for decades, cluded as he accepted his honor. — AFP year round, it feels like it has been for- promised he has “got some more joints ever since I had the experience of an to make,” referring to his films. “If you audience in front of me,” said Kaufmann, love what you’re doing, you can delay adding he was “extremely excited and Father Time,” he told ceremony host thrilled” to perform in Madrid. Some Jodie Foster. opera houses have staged full operas to The livestreamed event saw Lee empty theatres for television or online heaped with praise by the likes of Foster, broadcast but Kaufmann said it was no Angela Bassett, Rosie Perez and “Black substitute for a live audience. “Usually Panther” director Ryan Coogler, who there is the applause and then you relax dubbed him a “trailblazer.” The award and start smiling at you take a bow, but if was remotely presented by the cast of there is just this eternal silence what can Lee’s recent movie “Da 5 Bloods,” in ritish singer Marianne Faithfull has you do? It’s embarrassing really,” he which elderly Black soldiers return to been left with fatigue and breath- said earlier during a press conference. Vietnam decades after the war. Lee, who Bing problems months after being “So my apologies. Audience we need continues to teach film at his alma mater treated for Covid-19 in hospital, the you and we need you now more than New York University, deflected praise Guardian newspaper reported on Friday. Mountain gazelles are pictured on a hill next to a forest in the suburb of Jerusalem. ever,” he added. “People needed dis- onto younger Black filmmakers including Faithfull, 74, said she had suffered with traction, people needed something to at Coogler. “When I see the next wave lingering symptoms after contracting the least forget for a couple of hours all their virus duing the first wave of the pandem- sorrows. If you take that away and at the ic in Britain in April last year. “Three same time, when you take away pretty things: the memory, fatigue and my much everything else, I think it’s a huge, lungs are still not OK-I have to have oxy- huge mistake.” gen and all that stuff,” she told the paper, adding that the side-effects were ‘High rate of suicides’ “strange” and “awful”. A high number of srael is one of the last places where the predators like wolves or jackals, and Kaufmann warned that the devastat- Covid-19 patients have experienced last- endangered mountain gazelle roams in even hunting, although it is prohibited in ing economic impact on musicians, the wild but, as development shrinks Israel. The article noted that despite ing effects from the virus after an initial I many of whom are struggling to make their natural savannah habitat, ecologists Israel being the mountain gazelle’s “last recovery with a lingering disease known ends meets as shows are cancelled, is are studying if they can also thrive in stronghold”, populations there too are as “long Covid”. taking a psychological toll. “I know about forests. Wildlife experts hope their popu- declining and not meeting their full Symptoms range from memory prob- a quite high rate of suicides in our family lation can recover in woodlands like the reproductive potential. lems, shortness of breath, loss of taste or of musicians because they don’t see any Forest of the Martyrs west of Jerusalem, smell, post-traumatic stress disorder, future and it is really, really terrible,” he Dustin Diamond where six million trees were planted after and in some cases patients can be left said, Some are “vulnerable souls” who World War II, reflecting the number of bed-ridden for months. Faithfull, a 1960s unfortunately “don’t see any other exit, Jews killed in the Holocaust. To study icons who was catapulted to fame at the which is very sad,” Kauffmann said. how the animals are adapting to their new age of just 17 singing “As Tears Go By” Kaufmann, who the New York Times written by Mick Jagger and Keith environment and food sources, a team at the Volcani Center, Israel’s agricultural once called the “most important, versa- Richards of the Rolling Stones, was dis- tile tenor of his generation”, said he feels charged from hospital in London on April research organization, has been collect- ing their droppings to study the quality of “very privileged” to still be able to per- 22. The singer said given her age, well- their diets. form. “There are maybe two dozen documented battles with drug addiction Armed with small shovels, they walked singers worldwide who are in this privi- and health issues, such as an earlier he actor Dustin Diamond, best its foliage-covered paths recently which leged position,” he said. hepatitis C diagnosis and emphysema, known for playing Samuel ‘Screech’ led team leader Guy Dovrat and his staff Kaufmann urged the authorities to she was particularly vulnerable to Covid TPowers in hit US children’s TV show to what they call “a station”, delighted to reopen concert halls and other cultural and came close to death. “All I know is “Saved by the Bell”, has been diagnosed find the small dark pellets deposited by institutions and be inventive to revive the that I was in a very dark place-presum- with cancer, according to his representa- the animals. Analysis already suggests A mountain gazelle is pictured on a hill next arts. “We are not the politicians... we are ably, it was death,” she said. Faithfull tives. His official Facebook page con- the slender herbivores can indeed adapt to a forest in the suburb of Jerusalem. only voices and we need others to help” said she has subsequently learned from firmed the news in a statement Thursday, to the forest ecosystem, Dovrat said. so that after the pandemic “we find a asking fans to “respect Dustin’s privacy medical notes that at one stage in hospi- Gazelles are still found in northern and Dovrat, for his study, joined forces with cultural landscape that is similar to what during this difficult time.” The 44-year- tal, doctors were only advising palliative southern Israel, near the coastline and in the Jewish National Fund which manages we have left when this whole crisis start- old’s representative Roger Paul also con- care. Her musical collaborator, the the Jerusalem area, Dovrat said, with the Forest of the Martyrs, planted in 1951. ed,” he said. “This is the first time that firmed the diagnosis to USA Today and Australian musician Warren Ellis, said forests now constituting “the last large “We have set up this partnership to see music is been silenced in a time of cri- said Diamond was undergoing treatment her chances of survival had seemed open spaces where gazelles can live”. how in the future we can use data (on sis,” he added. — AFP at a Florida hospital for stage 4 cancer. slim. “She wasn’t actually meant to make The International Union for Conservation gazelles) to better manage the forest,” “We are still doing more tests,” Paul said it through,” Ellis said. — AFP of Nature placed the mountain gazelle on said Yahel Porat, 45, an ecologist and on Thursday. “Once we know, we will its “Red List” in 2017, saying its popula- landscape gardener at the JNF. One way have an idea of how to approach it. Right tion was declining due to poaching, road of aiding the gazelles is planting vegeta- now it is a very serious situation.I’m ask- kills and habitat degradation. Endemic to tion they favour, Porat said. ing everyone for thoughts and prayers.” the Levant, their population in Israel is Dovrat’s team was also installing cam- He did not disclose what type of can- now estimated at about 5,000, but falling eras on trees to capture the movement of cer Diamond had. Diamond starred in due to urbanisation and other pressures, gazelles and to estimate their number. “Saved by the Bell” from the late 1980s according to Yoram Yom-Tov of Tel Aviv “It’s important for us to know where there to 2000, but was not involved in a University and Uri Roll of Ben Gurion are gazelles to adapt our activity in the remake that premiered in November. In University in Beersheva. forest, to avoid disturbing them and to recent years, Diamond has worked as a keep from pushing them towards the stand-up comedian and appeared on ‘Last stronghold’ roads,” Porat said. The JNF has recently several reality TV shows. In 2015, he New roads, towns and homes in Israel put in place ecological bridges over was sentenced to four months in prison have reduced the animals’ habitat, frag- roads to allow gazelles to move from for- after being charged with carrying a con- mented their territories and isolated est to forest, he said. “It’s one of the most cealed weapon and disorderly conduct In this file photo English singer Marianne gazelle populations, the two scientists important things we can do today to pre- during a stabbing at a bar. He was Faithfull performs on stage during the 23rd note in an article published in Oryx, The serve them.”— AFP German operatic tenor Jonas Kaufmann pos- released from jail a month early in 2016 edition of the Cognac Blues Passion festival International Journal of Conservation. es after his performance at the Teatro Real in for good behavior. — AFP in Cognac. — AFP The animals also face threats from cars, Madrid. — AFP Established 1961 13 Lifestyle Features Sunday, January 17, 2021

A final leak There was only so long the US Secret Service agents guarding Ivanka Trump and her hus- band Jared Kushner could hold on... Now the truth has finally dribbled out. Trump’s favorite child and her millionaire partner refused to let the agents protecting them around the clock use any of the “6.5 bathrooms” in their Washington mansion. Instead the agents were forced to go to the nearby home of Barack and Michelle Obama when nature called. And when the Obamas weren’t home they had to make do with a porta-potty. Eventually the Secret Service rented a studio apartment nearby for $3,000 a month to save everyone from embarrassment, the Washington Post revealed. 4x4 vehicles prepare for dune bashing, also known as desert safari, in Qatar’s Sealine You’ve been Trumped desert, around 63 kilometres south of the In other Trump news, the departing presi- capital Doha. — AFP photos dent is reportedly refusing to pay his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani-despite the fact that he pretty much trashed his career and reputation female 4X4 enthusiast is blazing “When you start off with this, you popular off-roading area in the past five a woman thing,” said Shash, the chief for him. The pair have fallen out, with Trump a trail in Qatar’s traditionally think it’s a men’s sport. This was keep- years, according to interior ministry fig- marshal. “offended” by Giuliani’s demand for $20,000 a Amale sport of off-roading and in ing me away in the beginning,” said ures. Over the winter desert season, But Visser was not deterred, rising day. But Giuliani got no pity from his old friend a rare move has also become a dune Visser. But Khaled Shash, the chief authorities have carried out a media from an ordinary group member to a and former spin doctor Ken Frydman. He said driving safety marshal. “As soon as my safety marshal of Qatar’s Dune Rider blitz with television coverage of safety marshal in little over a year. “That the ex-New York mayor had repeatedly tyres touched the sand, I fell in love Club, a group bringing together those and recovery initiatives, driver educa- raised a lot of eyebrows,” she said. “embarrassed himself” for the President- with the desert,” said Marcelle Visser, a with a passion for the desert and 4X4 tion roadshows, and warning billboards “When it’s a big group and each one including in an unfortunate bedroom cameo in South African woman living in Qatar, as vehicles, sought to nurture Visser’s dotted around desert areas. Dune has their own way of doing it, being the latest Borat film, “Cultural Learnings of Riders, like most other clubs, hosts heard over a big group of people is America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of regular workshops for newcomers to very difficult.” The group, which counts Kazakhstan”. “Lay down with dogs. Wake up promote safety. with fleas and without $20,000 a day,” 4x4 vehicles prepare for dune At one workshop, Shash, Visser and Frydman quipped. bashing, also known as desert the other marshals demonstrated safari, in Qatar’s Sealine desert. desert recovery techniques. Visser Childbirth is no excuse showed a group of young men how to South Korean authorities have issued a be sure their cars were properly dug reminder to pregnant women to have enough out before driving off to avoid spinning pressed shirts, socks and underpants ready their tyres and digging in. “When we for their helpless husbands when they are come out to the desert, it’s four to six away in hospital giving birth. They should also hours per time so it’s really intensive have sufficient pre-cooked meals set aside so training,” she said of her marshal train- the poor man, so “unfamiliar with cooking” will ing, surrounded by the sides of the South African Marcelle Visser, driving safe- not starve, Seoul’s local government said on deep sand bowl used to demonstrate ty marshal of Qatar’s Dune Rider club, train its website. In another helpful hint, mothers-to- recovery techniques. “It’s the same for participants in off-road driving techniques be are advised to hang their favorite skimpy women getting stuck as for the men, in Qatar’s Sealine desert. dress up on a wall to “motivate” them not to because you don’t need the physical eat too much during their pregnancy. “And strength, you just need to follow the only a handful of women as members- don’t put off your domestic duties like clean- right steps.” something Visser has sought to ing and the dishes” girls, it adds. “The exer- change by encouraging members’ cise will help you keep your weight down...” her Land Cruiser bounded across the enthusiasm. “The minute I saw how ‘Not a woman thing?’ wives to give it a try-has come to Like in neighboring Japan, authorities wonder rolling sandscape. In Qatar, gender Marcelle is passionate about off-road- Desert camps and off-roading will embrace the lone female marshal. “I’ve why fewer and fewer South Korean women separation in social settings remains ing in general I decided to focus with be at the forefront of Qatar’s offer to been in many clubs, even back in India are having children. But the penny may be common in many areas of life, so the her. It was a plan to make her a mar- fans visiting the Gulf emirate for the I used to be in all the two-wheel clubs, dropping. The advice was taken down after appointment of a woman as one of a shal,” he said. 2022 World Cup. Desert camps are but I’ve never seen a woman who’s 20,000 women expressed their fury at it in an handful of experts at a prestigious also expected to help pick up the slack handling this stuff alone,” said group online petition. desert club has caused a stir. Men ‘Don’t need physical strength’ for hotels and other more conventional member Ram Arun. “This is the first and women gather separately for Marshals take responsibility for the accommodation. Visser’s expertise is time that I’ve seen a woman, who’s Keep it short, Joe prayers and most celebrations and, safety of group members on desert clear, but she sometimes has to work very bold, very patient. She’s really When Joe Biden is sworn in as US presi- historically, it was the men who would drives, training participants in off-road to be heard over her more vocal male good.” — AFP dent on Wednesday, we hope he remembers gather and make camps in the desert driving techniques and assisting those club members. “Off-roading always the lesson of his unfortunate predecessor as well as off-road together-hugely in distress. More than 4,300 accidents had something of an adrenaline rush, William H. Harrison in 1841. An oldie like popular pastimes in Qatar. have been reported in Qatar’s most so it’s always existed with men-it’s not Biden, Harrison tried to show his vigour by giving the longest inauguration speech in US history, only to expire of pneumonia a month later having talked for two hours in the freez- ing cold. History does not record how many of the audience also perished. — AFP

Marcelle Visser train participants in off-road driving tech- Teenagers sit together ahead of dune bashing. A girl walks with her dog ahead of dune bashing, also niques. known as desert safari.

through the country, fashion houses Most other brands, however, including billion) in lost sales. The global nature have turned to technology to showcase Ermenegildo Zegna, Tod’s, Prada and of the crisis curtailed exports, which their fall/winter 2021-22 collections. Church’s, have opted for pre-records- had been on the rise but fell by 16.7 Shows will be broadcast live on the choices that allow for creative freedom percent last year, crushing revenues fashion houses’ own websites or be but lack the immediacy and drama of by 70.8 percent. One sign of hope, replaced with pre-recorded presenta- live shows. Dolce & Gabbana, which however, is the beginnings of recovery tions, short films and other artistic proj- was originally scheduled to offer a tra- in the key Asian markets, but industry ects. Others such as Dolce & Gabbana ditional runway show on January 16, experts do not expect a full return to have withdrawn entirely. announced on Monday its decision to health in the luxury sector before 2023. The four-day men’s fashion event pull out entirely. In view of Covid-19, it Italy was the epicenter of the first takes place with infections rising in said, “the conditions essential to the European outbreak in February last lonely rhinoceros at a Bangladesh zoo is Italy’s Lombardy region with a return a realisation of our fashion show are not year after Covid-19 first emerged late looking for new love after losing her part- full lockdown possible as early as the met”. For the moment, no digital pres- in 2019 in the Chinese city of Wuhan. ner seven years ago, but pandemic trav- year after the last Covid-free cat- weekend. Lombardy, whose capital is entation is planned. Since then the virus has claimed tens A el restrictions are hampering her keeper’s walk shows in Milan, men’s fash- Milan, is one of five in Italy classified of thousands of lives in Italy, making it attempts to play matchmaker. Kanchi, a star Aion week began on Friday, but “orange” by the government, which Fashion in free fall one of the two worst-hit countries in attraction at the Bangladesh National Zoo, is at without the buzz of its traditional audi- means that stores and most schools The men’s fashion industry has suf- Europe alongside Britain.—AFP her most fertile age. But since the death of her ence of buyers, bloggers, celebrities are closed, while a curfew remains in fered a hard blow from the pandemic. male partner in 2014, she has been living on and media. As the pandemic continues force at night. Among those opting for In Italy, the sector ended 2020 with rev- her own in her muddy pen in the northern sub- to upend Italy’s crucial luxury sector live shows to be broadcast by the fash- enues down by 18.6 percent, repre- urb of the capital. The malaise of Kanchi the rhi- nearly 12 months after it first swept ion houses are Fendi, Etro and Kway. senting some two billion euros ($2.4 no has become increasingly apparent to the two million-plus visitors a year at the Dhaka landmark. Kanchi refuses food and often snubs her carer Farid Mia, who hugs the rhino and scratches its neck and shoulders. The one-ton vegetarian beast is served six kilograms (13 pounds) of rice bran and one kilo of chickpeas each day. “Her mood swings fre- quently. Sometimes she does not respond to my calls. It is mainly because she has grown up alone all these years,” Mia said. “I tell her that we will soon find her a male partner. But she is restless. She needs a partner desperately.” Abdul Latif, curator of the zoo, said the coron- avirus pandemic had blocked recent efforts to bring in a male rhino from Africa. “We know she feels lonely and we are trying our best to buy a suitable partner,” Latif told AFP. There has been more attention given to Kanchi, however, since the plight of Kaavan, the world’s loneliest elephant made international headlines in A screen shows screenings schedule of the Fall/Winter 2021 Men’s fashion collections by Young men take a lunch break on a public bench as a screen displays Ermenegildo November. —AFP the Italian Chamber of Italian Fashion (Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana) on Friday in Zegna’s digital Fall/Winter 2021 Men’s fashion collection. — AFP photos downtown Milan, on the opening day of a four-day so-called “phygital fashion week”. 14 Sports Sunday, January 17, 2021 Lazio cruise past Photo of the Day city rivals Roma

MILAN: Lazio cruised to a 3-0 victory over city rivals Roma on Friday, equaling their best ever derby victory in Serie A. The win moved Lazio up to seventh place on 31 points, just two behind champions Juventus in fourth. Roma stay third with 34 points, but are six points off leaders AC Milan having also played a game more. Ciro Immobile opened the scoring in the 14th minute for his 12th goal of the season. Luis Alberto, in the 23rd and 67th minutes, scored the other two, both with precise strikes. Roma, who had drawn 2-2 with second-placed Inter Milan last weekend, were rescued from further punishment by goalkeeper Paul Lopez who pulled off a series of fine second-half saves. “This season, it was a bit more important than usual, because we weren’t doing as well in Serie A as we wanted,” Spanish star Alberto said. “The last three or four games have been much better, we improved a great deal, and we confirmed that in the der- by. We showed a winning mentality and want to keep this momentum going.” Friday’s game was the first derby for new Roma own- er Dan Friedkin, but the performance was desperately familiar. Having lost heavily already this season to top six rivals Napoli (4-0) and Atalanta (4-1), Roma were undone by a far more aggressive Lazio side.—AFP

Matches on TV (Local Timings)

ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE

Aston Villa v Everton 15:00 beIN Sports Carlos Sainz races during Rally Dakar 2021 from Wadi Ad Dawasir to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. — Photo taken from www.redbullcontentpool.com Sheffield United v Tottenham Hotspur 17:00 beIN Sports HD 1

Liverpool v Manchester United 19:30 beIN Sports HD 1

Antetokounmpo propels Bucks over Manchester City v Crystal Palace 22:15 beIN Sports Mavs, James leads Lakers past Pelicans ITALIAN CALCIO LEAGUE SSC Napoli v ACF Fiorentina 14:30 T’Wolves star Towns confirms positive COVID-19 case beIN Sports HD 1 Crotone v Benevento 17:00 beIN Sports HD 5 LOS ANGELES: Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 31 Also, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 33 points and points and had nine rebounds to power the Milwaukee Mike Muscala hit a pair of three-pointers in overtime to US Sassuolo Calcio v Parma Calcio 1913 17:00 Bucks to a 112-109 victory over Luka Doncic’s Dallas lift the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 127-125 win over the beIN Sports HD 4 Mavericks in a battle between the two early frontrunners Chicago Bulls. The Bulls led by as many as 22 points in for NBA Most Valuable Player honors. Two-time MVP the first half before the Thunder rallied to tie it up in the Atalanta v Genoa CFC 20:00 winner Antetokounmpo hit 14-of-21 shots from the floor final seconds. beIN Sports HD 4 and Khris Middleton finished with 25 points for the host Muscala’s three-pointers and Chicago’s poor over- Bucks, who have won seven of their last eight games. time shooting allowed Oklahoma City to win for the first Internazionale Milano v Juventus FC 22:45 Doncic shot 12-of-24 from the floor for a team-high time in six home games this season. Elsewhere, Kawhi beIN Sports HD 1 28 points after coming off a 34-point performance in a Leonard delivered 27 points and six assists as the Los win over Charlotte two nights earlier. “We showed him Angeles Clippers cruised to a 138-100 win over the GERMAN BUNDESLIGA bodies. He wasn’t able to step back. We made him pass Sacramento Kings. the ball,” Antetokounmpo said of Doncic. FC Bayern Munich v SC Freiburg 17:30 After Milwaukee’s Brook Lopez missed a free throw Towns tests positive beIN Sports with one second left, Doncic launched a desperation Minnesota Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns two-handed three-point attempt at the buzzer but it hit said Friday he had tested positive for COVID-19, vowing Eintracht Frankfurt v FC Schalke 04 20:00 the backboard and bounced harmlessly away to give to overcome the disease that last year claimed the life of beIN Sports Milwaukee the win. “We just stayed with it,” said his mother and six other family members. The 25-year- Middleton. “They did a good job rebounding off the old power forward confirmed news of his positive case in FRENCH LEAGUE glass and made some tough shots but we just stayed a statement on Twitter, shortly after the NBA confirmed with it.” Minnesota’s game against Memphis on Friday had been Stade brestois 29 v Stade Rennais 15:00 Middleton drained a pair of clutch three-pointers late postponed. “Prior to tonight’s game, I received yet beIN Sports HD 6 in the fourth quarter. He also had eight rebounds and six another awful call that I tested positive for COVID,” said assists. The former second-round draft pick was traded Towns. “I pray every day that this nightmare of a virus Lorient v FCO Dijon 17:00 to the Bucks in 2013 from Detroit. “Each year is about will subside and I beg everyone to continue to take it beIN Sports HD 10 getting better and finding ways to make my teammates seriously by taking all of the necessary precautions. We better. That is what they do for me,” said Middleton, who MILWAUKEE: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the cannot stop the spread of this virus alone, it must be a FC Nantes v Racing Club de Lens 17:00 recently donated $100,000 to the employees at Fiserv Milwaukee Bucks handles the ball during the game group effort by all of us.” beIN Sports HD 6 Forum who lost their jobs because of the COVID-19 against the Dallas Mavericks on Friday at the Fiserv In April last year, Towns’ mother, Jacqueline Cruz- pandemic. Jrue Holiday had 16 points and Lopez added Forum Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. — AFP Towns, died at the age of 58 after contracting COVID- OGC Nice v Bordeaux 17:00 11 points and 11 rebounds for the Bucks, who overcame 19. Towns father also contracted the disease but recov- beIN Sports HD 8 Antetokounmpo’s one-for-10 shooting from the free ered. US media reports have said six other members of throw line. Doncic also had 13 assists and Tim Hardaway Towns’ extended family had died from coronavirus com- RC Strasbourg v Saint Etienne 17:00 added 22 points for the Mavericks, who had their four- Montrezl Harrell and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope each plications. “I’ve a seen a lot of coffins in the last seven beIN Sports HD 9 game winning streak snapped. “We played bad,” said with 16 points, Germany’s Dennis Schroder with 12 and months,” Towns said in December before the start of the Doncic. “But we had a chance to go up and we hung in Kyle Kuzma with 11 as the first place Los Angeles won new NBA season. LOSC Lille v Stade Reims 19:00 there.” their fifth game in a row. “It breaks my heart that my family, particularly my beIN Sports HD 6 Antetokounmpo against Doncic wasn’t the only mar- father and sister, continue to suffer from the anxiety that quee matchup on a night when the league had to post- New players comes along with this diagnosis as we know all too well Olympique Lyonnais v FC Metz 23:00 pone three games because of a series of coronavirus “We are playing good basketball right now and we what the end result could be,” Towns said in his state- beIN Sports HD 6 outbreaks. Four time NBA champion LeBron James took want to continue that,” said James. “We are implement- ment on Friday. “To my niece and nephew... I promise on former first overall draft pick Zion Williamson and ing five new guys into our rotation that weren’t part of you I will not end up in a box next to grandma and I will SPANISH SUPER CUP after the slow start the host Lakers rolled to a 112-95 win our team last year.” Williamson, who returned after a beat this.” Towns’ positive case comes amid a slew of over the Pelicans. James had 21 points, 11 assists and one-game absence due to health protocols, had 21 postponements in the NBA, which opened its 2020-2021 FC Barcelona v Athletic de Bilbao 23:00 eight rebounds, Anthony Davis finished with 17 points points and 12 rebounds and Brandon Ingram scored 20 season last month amid a resurgent COVID-19 crisis in KSA Sports 1 HD and a half dozen Lakers finished in double figure scoring. points for the Pelicans, who lost their fifth straight. the United States. — AFP

sports community. entertainment needs of our individual and corporate actively be engaged in activities that encourage indi- stc celebrates The company also took this opportunity to high- customers. stc is keen to support and encourage pio- viduals of all ages and nationalities to adopt better light the extensive efforts witnessed by KFA presi- neering projects and activities across various sectors, lifestyle choices. This dynamic runs parallel to one of dent, Sheikh Ahmed Youssef Al-Sabah, and the mem- which definitely includes the sports industry.” the company’s primary social responsibility pillars, with Crown Prince bers of the association, throughout the football sea- It is worth mentioning that through its influential promoting health awareness and exercising regularly son. Their hard work and dedication led to yet anoth- and role in the local sports community, stc aims to to maintain a balanced active lifestyle. Cup champions er successful outcome witnessed during the closing ceremony of this widely followed championship in Kuwait, added stc. KUWAIT: stc, the official sponsor of the initiatives The Crown Prince Cup stems from the basic val- organized by the Kuwait Football Association (KFA) ues stc abides by. These include promoting fair and including premier championships, celebrated the final positive competition, good sportsmanship, ethical match of the most exclusive championship in Kuwait. principles, and integrity, values that apply to all stc attended the closing ceremony of the Crown aspects of life. The company said that it will continue Prince Cup at Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium, to support sporting initiatives, especially those that held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mishal Al- foster the same values that the company stands by. Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Crown Prince of Kuwait, Participating in competitive sports and fitness activi- where Kuwait Sporting Club were announced as the ties aids in building character, developing morals, and official champions of the cup. promoting a healthier lifestyle through frequent exer- The Minister of Information and Minister of State cise, a belief that is also encouraged amongst work for Youth Affairs Abdulrahman Al-Mutairi (attending teams. on behalf of HH the Crown Prince of Kuwait), CEO of In its stride to support the local sports community, stc, engineer Maziad Bin Nasser Alharbi, and presi- stc will continue to back such initiatives, firmly dent of KFA, Sheikh Ahmed Youssef Al-Sabah, believing in the added value and benefits these could crowned Kuwait Sporting Club as champions after bring to the younger generation. Promoting a healthi- winning against Qadsia Sporting Club with a score of er and active lifestyle is a priority that should not only 2-1 in favor of the winners. be considered towards the younger generation, but stc released a statement expressing its sense of also work teams within the company. joy in the solid partnership it has built over the years stc concluded, “In line with our digital transforma- with the KFA. In its role as an ongoing supporter, stc tion strategy, we aim to continue developing innova- indicated that the Crown Prince Cup is a unique tive communication solutions and platforms that com- KUWAIT: Kuwait Club players celebrate with the championship trophy. annual event that holds a special weight in the local plement the strength of our 5G networks, serving the Established 1961 15 Sports Sunday, January 17, 2021 Man Utd face acid test of Premier League title credentials at Liverpool United looks to become first visitors to win at Anfield in league in four years

LONDON: Liverpool and Manchester United face off ‘We’re in it’ today as the Premier League’s top two teams for the first But, on the road, United’s form has been remarkably time since 1997 — with the rivalry between England’s consistent. Today, it will be almost a year to the day most successful clubs rekindled by a fascinating title since they last lost an away game in domestic competi- race. United top the table after the New Year for the first tion — on their last visit to Anfield. Since then Bruno time since Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013 thanks to Fernandes’ arrival has helped transform United’s for- an 11-match unbeaten run to take them past Jurgen tunes. On Friday, the Portugal playmaker won his fourth Klopp’s men. Liverpool have surrendered top spot after Premier League player-of-the-month award in 2020 by three league games without a win and could drop to fifth picking up the prize for December. place today if results go against them. “Unfortunately a good signing for United,” said The last time United and Liverpool locked horns in a Klopp. “He is a very influential player for United obvi- title race was 12 years ago. Back then United were hard- ously, involved in a lot of things. I know people talk ened winners under Ferguson, who saw off Rafael mostly about the goal involvements, which is very Benitez’s challengers to win a third consecutive league important stuff, but he is a link-up in a lot of other situ- title. Now it is United who Ole Gunnar Solskjaer admits ations as well.” are the “hunters” chasing the champions. Ferguson, who Without the silverware on his CV to rival Klopp or arrived at Old Trafford in 1986 with United firmly in City boss Pep Guardiola, Solskjaer’s credentials for one Liverpool’s shadow, once famously said his goal was to of the biggest jobs in football are questioned every time knock them “off their perch” and he went on to win 13 he has a couple of bad results. But the Norwegian has league titles. But United have been displaced as top guided United into a position his more storied predeces- dogs even in their own city by Manchester City. sors, Jose Mourinho and Louis van Gaal, could not man- And fans have been forced to watch Klopp spear- age. “The last few years, there have been two teams run- head another era of glory at Anfield, winning the ning away with it already by the end of October,” said Champions League in 2019 before ending the club’s 30- Solskjaer. “Now, at least, we’re in it at half-way. We’re a year wait for a league title last season — putting them much better side now than a year ago.” just one behind United’s record tally of 20. Questions remain over whether United’s revival is for But, in a strange and at times soulless season in emp- real or another false dawn, of which there have been ty stadiums, the relentless consistency shown by several in the post-Ferguson era. Liverpool’s three- Liverpool in recent years has dropped off. Hampered by decade drought without a league title stands as a warn- a series of injuries, most notably to talismanic center- ing of how far even giants can fall. back Virgil van Dijk, Liverpool have already dropped One of Klopp’s first iconic phrases when taking LIVERPOOL: This combination of file pictures created on January 15, 2021, shows Liverpool’s Senegalese strik- more points in 17 games than they have in either of the charge in 2015 was his ambition to change the fatalism er Sadio Mane (left) celebrating scoring his team’s first goal during the English Premier League football match past two seasons. That has allowed United to overtake around the club’s mentality from “doubter to believer”. between Everton and Liverpool at Goodison Park in Liverpool, north west England on October 17, 2020 and them despite a slow start to their own campaign. Should United become the first visiting side to win at Manchester United’s English forward Marcus Rashford (right) celebrating after scoring a goal during the UEFA Solskjaer’s men won just two of their opening six games, Anfield in the league for nearly four years, it is they who Champions League Group H first-leg football match between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Manchester suffering a humiliating 6-1 reverse at the hands of will have the new-found confidence that a 21st league United at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris on October 20, 2020. — AFP Tottenham at Old Trafford. title in 2021 is possible. — AFP

Munich airplane crash. But the friendly rivalry had Rooney said he had been “blown away” by Historic divides turned nasty by the late 1970s as hooligan gangs fought Rooney ends playing Derby’s potential when he arrived at the club after a bloody battles, while United were sprayed with tear gas spell playing for DC United in the United States. “To by a Liverpool fan when they stepped off the coach be given the opportunity to follow the likes of Brian fuel Liverpool, before a match at Anfield in 1986. career to become Clough, Jim Smith, Frank Lampard and Phillip Cocu is There has not been a transfer between the clubs such an honor,” he said. “And I can promise everyone Man Utd rivalry since Phil Chisnall moved from United to Liverpool in full-time Derby boss involved in the club and all our fans, my staff and I 1964. The enmity plumbed new depths when Liverpool will leave no stone unturned in achieving the potential striker Luis Suarez was suspended for eight games after I have witnessed over the last 12 months of this his- LONDON: When Liverpool and Manchester United racially abusing United’s Patrice Evra in 2011. LONDON: Former Manchester United and England toric football club.” clash at Anfield today, one of the Premier League’s most star Wayne Rooney ended his illustrious playing explosive rivalries will carry an extra edge rarely seen in Arms race career on Friday to take up the job of managing Record-breaker past meetings despite their trophy-laden histories. Over Liverpool enjoyed one of English football’s most Championship side Derby on a full-time basis. Derby Rooney, who captained Manchester United and the past four decades, United and Liverpool have often dominant periods from the 1970s until 1990, a golden confirmed Rooney, 35, has agreed a permanent deal England, hangs up his boots as the all-time leading been in the ascendant at different times, so a sustained era in which they won 11 of their 19 league titles, lifted until 2023, having succeeded Phillip Cocu on an goalscorer for United and his country. He is also the title battle between the two old enemies is an enticing the FA Cup three times and won the League Cup in four interim basis in November. second-highest goalscorer in Premier League history prospect. United are three points clear of second-placed successive years. Not content with hoovering up the — behind only Alan Shearer — with 208 goals. Liverpool ahead of this weekend’s showdown, making it domestic prizes, Liverpool reigned supreme abroad, His retirement was instantly recognised by the the first time the Old Trafford outfit have been top at this winning the European Cup four times and the UEFA Cup England official Twitter account, which posted: “A stage of a season since Alex Ferguson’s title-winning twice. Liverpool’s preeminence had ended by the dawn #ThreeLions legend. Congratulations on a fantastic farewell campaign in 2013. While both teams play in red of the Premier League as United rose to power. playing career, @WayneRooney! Wishing you all the and come from cities separated by just 31 miles, beneath Between 1992 and 2013, United were crowned cham- best in management.” the superficial similarities lies a bitter feud. pions 13 times, surpassing Liverpool as they took the Alex Ferguson, who signed Rooney for United, club’s overall haul to 20 English titles. Liverpool closed said: “He is England’s top goalscorer, he is the gap last season with their first title in 30 years and Manchester United’s top goalscorer and he has had a would equal United’s record haul if they retain the tro- fantastic career as a player. It will give him a starting phy this term. It also remains a source of angst at Old point. But like anyone else it is a results industry. He Trafford that the club have only been European champi- will know that better than anyone. It is a big step for ons three times — half of Liverpool’s tally. him. He is quite a wealthy young man now, so he probably doesn’t need to go into management, but he Touchline tantrums wants to do it and that is important. Hopefully he “It doesn’t matter if we are playing tiddlywinks, when does well.” we get together you expect sparks to fly,” former United Rooney made his debut for boyhood club Everton manager Alex Ferguson once said of the Liverpool rival- in 2002 and shot to prominence by scoring a sensa- ry. Ferguson did more than most to light the fuse, com- tional goal to beat then-champions Arsenal days plaining that visiting managers left Anfield “choking on before his 17th birthday. After an impressive showing their own vomit” after an acrimonious 1988 clash and for England at Euro 2004 he was signed by United in crowing that he had made it his aim to “knock Liverpool a £27 million ($37 million) transfer. from their perch” when he arrived in Manchester. Rooney soon started paying that fee back, scoring Liverpool managers were just as susceptible to the a hat-trick on his debut in the Champions League passion play, with Rafael Benitez infamously embarking against Fenerbahce. on a heated press conference rant in 2009 about the A potent combination of poise and power made “facts” that showed Ferguson and United were given Rooney a lethal goal threat before he finished his favorable treatment by the referees and the governing career showcasing his more cerebral side in a deeper bodies. Benitez’s men ended up blowing their title bid, so role. Capable of predatory finishes and spectacular current Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp and his United MANCHESTER: In this file photo taken on January 13, strikes in equal measure, Rooney was one of the counterpart Ole Gunnar Solskjaer might be wise to keep 2013 Manchester United’s Scottish manager Alex MOSCOW: In this file photo taken on May 21, 2008 world’s best forwards during his prime years. He their cool if tensions threaten to mount this season. Ferguson (left) celebrates next to Liverpool’s Northern Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney holds up the tro- broke Bobby Charlton’s long-standing record of 249 Irish manager Brendan Rodgers during the English phy after beating Chelsea in the final of the UEFA goals in January 2017, going on to reach 253 goals in Culture clash Premier League football match between Manchester Champions League football match at the Luzhniki total for the Old Trafford club. While the football feud has gradually come to the Rooney won five Premier League titles and a United and Liverpool at Old Trafford in Manchester, boil, there was rarely any love lost between the cities. stadium in Moscow. — AFP northwest England. — AFP Champions League medal with Ferguson at the helm One source of the rivalry was the decision of and captained the club to FA Cup glory under Louis Manchester authorities to build a ship canal in the late van Gaal in 2016. He played 120 matches and scored Best of enemies 19th century, challenging the port city of Liverpool. In accepting the manager’s role, Derby said the 53 goals for England, appearing for the final time Formed as Newton Heath in 1878, Manchester United When the Beatles took the charts by storm in the iconic forward had “elected to call time on his illustri- against the United States in 2018. were born 14 years before Liverpool emerged in 1892, 1960s, Liverpudlians trumpeted Merseybeat as the ous playing career to fully focus on his job”. Rooney The forward rejoined Everton from United in and for a brief period, the clubs had a surprisingly cor- country’s greatest pop export, a boast Mancunians used was in charge for nine matches as interim boss at 2017 but was at Goodison Park for just a year dial relationship. In 1915, several players from both teams themselves 20 years later when their city produced Derby, winning three and drawing four. before moving to MLS side DC United. Rooney even joined forces to fix their match, which helped touchstone bands such as the Smiths, the Stone Roses “We are delighted to confirm the appointment of moved to Derby in January 2020 as a player-coach United avoid relegation, with four from Liverpool and and the Happy Mondays. Liverpool supporters claim Wayne Rooney as our new manager,” said Derby and took caretaker charge when Cocu was sacked. three from Manchester subsequently hit with bans. they beat Manchester to the craze of dressing in fash- County chief executive officer Stephen Pearce. “Our Derby are currently in the Championship relegation As late as 1958, Liverpool offered to lend players to ionable casual sportswear that swept the terraces in recent upturn in results under Wayne was married zone but are level on 19 points with Sheffield the 1980s. —AFP United after a number of their stars were killed in the together with some positive performances.” Wednesday, in 21st place. — AFP

November, and issued an apology insisting he was “com- rebellion is just one example of Uruguayan indignation als, too, rushed to his defense. Twitter was flooded with Cavani’s ‘racism’ pletely opposed to racism.” But the English Football the FA ignited. the hashtag #GraciasNegrito, small businesses started Association (FA) deemed the comment “insulting, abu- Uruguay’s Spanish language academy issued a state- selling T-shirts emblazoned with the phrase, and a plane sive, improper,” banned the 33-year-old for three match- ment in which it accused the FA of “ignorance”, saying it flew a banner displaying it over a beach east of Uruguay’s ban: An attack es and fined him £100,000 ($137,000). was common for the phrase, and others that may appear capital Montevideo in a show of support. The sanction gave rise to much incredulity in Cavani’s offensive to an outsider, to be used affectionately among While most have flocked to Cavani’s defense, even on a culture? home country. Rosas, who runs a wine distribution outlet, friends or family members. For its part, the Uruguayan accusing the FA of suffering a colonial hangover, some in said the news “outraged” her. As an act of protest, she Football Players’ Association said that FA itself had been the Afro-Uruguayan community say it may be time for a designed a label with the contested phrase sprawled over “Touch one Uruguayan, touch us all,” “racist”, while the Uruguayan Football Association (AUF) language review. Black player Mathias Acuna, 28, MONTEVIDEO: blue and white background reminiscent of the Uruguayan grumbles Silvina Rosas as she adorns wine bottles with said Cavani had suffered a “flagrant injustice”. believes the FA sanction was unjust, but this did not mean flag, and posted a photo montage of some newly-dressed labels bearing the controversial phrase “Gracias “In our Spanish, which differs greatly from the racism was not a problem. Negrito.” The term, which translates as: “Thank you little wine bottles on social media. Spanish spoken in other regions of the world, the nick- “There are times that it (the word ‘negro’ or its black person,” got star footballer Edinson Cavani fined An avalanche of orders led her to create a new line for names negro/a or negrito/a are used... as an expression diminutive ‘negrito’) is used affectionately, as a compli- for racism in England, but most of his countrymen insist it real, and she has not stopped shipping deliveries since of friendship, affection, closeness and trust, and is in no ment. It depends who it is from,” he told AFP. “It is a pity is a term of endearment. then. “The reaction was divine madness,” Rosas told AFP. way derogatory or discriminatory to the race or skin col- that it is him (Cavani), who used it affectionately” who is Following complaints, the Uruguay and Manchester “People understood that this (the label design) was done or” of the recipient. It noted that Cavani’s message had being made an example of, said Acuna. But “racism in United striker swiftly deleted the social media post he with love. The price also represents that because there is been addressed to a close friend, a fellow Uruguayan, Uruguay and in football exists.” People should be more made in response to a message of congratulations after a not much profit.” The bottles of Uruguay’s flagship tannat who “knows and shares his way of speaking”. circumspect, he argued. “We are not blacks nor whites, match-winning display against Southampton in red wine, sell for 340 pesos (about $8) apiece. Rosas’s As institutional ranks closed around Cavani, individu- we are people, nothing more.”—AFP Established 1961 Sport

SUNDAY, JANUARY 17, 2021 West Brom seal Allardyce’s first win Brighton boost survival bid with win at Leeds • West Ham up to eighth

LONDON: West Bromwich Albion won for the first time under new boss Sam Wounded Wolves Allardyce as Matheus Pereira’s penalty Wolves fell behind in the eighth double clinched a 3-2 Premier League minute with a self-inflicted wound. Boly victory at local rivals Wolves yesterday. caught Callum Robinson with a rash Allardyce had failed to win any of his challenge and, after a VAR review con- first five matches since replacing the firmed the foul was just inside the area, sacked Slaven Bilic. But the former Pereira stepped up to convert the penal- England manager was finally able to cel- ty. That made it nine consecutive league ebrate after a pulsating Black Country games in which Wolves had fallen derby at Molineux. behind. Pereira shot Albion ahead from the spot Silva’s leveller came in the 38th before goals from Fabio Silva and Willy minute when Albion failed to clear a Boly put Wolves in the driving seat at half- Romain Saiss cross and Boly’s deft back- time. Semi Ajayi equalized after the inter- heel found the teenage forward, who val and Pereira’s second penalty sealed slotted home from close-range. Sloppy West Brom’s first win in eight league defending was Albion’s downfall again as games. Albion remain second bottom of Wolves went in front five minutes later. the table after their second league victory, Joao Moutinho’s corner wasn’t cleared but are just three points from safety. by Jake Livermore and Boly slammed his “I thought the way the lads carried shot past Button from seven yards. out their tactics was excellent. It’s the Boly was the first Wolves player to best I have seen us in possession since I concede a penalty, assist a goal and have been here,” Allardyce said. “The score a goal in the same Premier League lads were excellent in the second half, game since Adlene Guedioura in 2011 — their heads could have gone down with also against West Brom at Molineux. the results we have had recently but they Albion equalised in the 52nd minute came bouncing back.” Wolves are win- when a long throw was flicked on by less in six league games and have not Kyle Bartley and Ajayi looped his header beaten the Baggies in 10 years. over Wolves keeper Rui Patricio into the It was the first time these two local far corner. A dramatic game took anoth- rivals had met since 2012 when West er turn when Conor Coady conceded a Brom won 5-1 at Molineux and this was penalty with a trip on Robinson and an equally memorable success for the Pereira stepped up to score from the visitors. West Brom were hit by Covid-19 spot again. LEEDS: Leeds United’s English defender Luke Ayling (center) vies with Brighton’s German midfielder Pascal Gross (left) and Brighton’s this week, forcing keeper Sam Johnstone Brighton boosted their survival bid Ivorian midfielder Yves Bissouma (right) during their English Premier League football match at Elland Road yesterday. — AFP and winger Matt Phillips into self-isola- with a 1-0 win at Leeds. Neal Maupay tion after positive tests. David Button netted after 17 minutes with a tap-in five points clear of the relegation zone ing fourth bottom Burnley 1-0 at the since October from Pablo Fornals’ cross. replaced Johnstone in goal, while new after Alexis Mac Allister and Leandro after ending a nine-match winless run in London Stadium. The decisive moment Later yesterday, Chelsea traveled to signing Robert Snodgrass made his Trossard combined to open up the the league. came in the ninth minute when Michail west London neighbors Fulham, while Albion debut in Phillips’ absence. Leeds defense. Graham Potter’s side are West Ham are up to eighth after beat- Antonio grabbed his first league goal Leicester hosted Southampton. — AFP